Summer of Miracles
by Daisybooks
Summary: Ariel Lindon is heartbroken. So, when she goes to San Diego with her best friend, Naomi, she plans to make this the best summer ever. Little did she know it would start with a swim in the Pacific.
1. Chapter 1: Carousels and Oceans

My mother has always told me that a woman is meant to be gentle, loving, and always prepared for a chase. She would know. She has had many chases in her life.

For example, when Robert, captain of her high school football team, wanted to ask her to homecoming. My mother said he was so confident she would say yes that when she said no, Robert's pride was probably ruined. Only a week later did she say yes after she had him chase her and finally realize she was not worth the time. Then my mother kissed him. And they were the high school sweethearts for two years.

So when Clyde, captain of MY high school football team, asked me to homecoming I twirled a lock of my honey brown hair flirtatiously.

"Why?"

His brows furrowed. "Why, what?"

I rolled my eyes. "Why do you want me to go to homecoming?"

Clyde smiled. "Because you're beautiful."

I snorted. "If that's what you think will take a girl to swoon and fall at your feet, you got alot coming, Clyde Benjamin Parker." Pivoting on the ball of my foot, I walked away with an alluring smile as a goodbye.

The next day, he ignored me. I didn't care. Boys were nothing to me. They didn't seem to care to make an effort. I knew when I found someone I would know.

I was laughing over some stupid joke when the waitress of the local Starbucks came over to me with a note and said, "The gentleman that just left wanted me to give this to a Ariel Lindon." Taking the slip of the paper, I read the messy handwriting.

Meet me at 9 at the carousel

Grinning, I pocketed the note and merely shrugged it off as another invitation to homecoming.

At nine, I appeared at the golden carousel standing old and regal amongst the many pines. Many years ago, when my grandmother was a kid, the carousel used to stand in the middle of a huge park that was just built by a rich land owner. A decade after the building, the land owner lost all of his money and he had to sell the park to his cousin. The cousin never opened it and the park lay unwanted and soon after, a wood grew around the area. The horses on the carousel never ran again but they still shine like they did fifty years ago.

Sitting astride a brown horse with a golden and emerald green painted saddle and silver tassels hanging down the side, I brush my hands over the painted brown hair of the horse. In the booth where the staff worked the merry-go-round, a directory was stuck into one of the many shelves. This horse was named Rose.

A figure steps out from the trees and I sigh. Clyde.

He walks over to me and seats himself on the horse next to mine. We sit in silence. I'm about to get up and leave when he speaks.

"You asked me why."

I clear my throat. "Yes I did."

Clyde looks at me and smiles sadly. "You may not know this but my grandmother owns the bookstore. You know, Where the Wild Books Are?"

I nod. When I was younger, I would always curl up in the window seat and read their many picture books and lose myself in the stories. The calming, quiet enviroment of the store reminded me of a tree. The spiral staircase sprouting from the middle was the trunk and several levels branched off where different genres of books were held. I would seat myself at the very top where there was a huge window and I would look out and see the entire town spread out before me. It was beautiful.

Clyde nods. "Well, when I was younger, a small girl would always come in every day and climb up to the very top of the store and read every book she could get her hands on. She read pages and pages and sometimes I would just sit and watch her. Watch as her tiny hands flipped the pages, how at the cliff hangers she would bite her nails. She was different. While all the other children ran outside and used chalk to draw countless blocks of hopscotch, she would stay in the bookstore all day and read. Around age eleven she came less and less. Eventually, she never showed up. And when that day came, my heart ached for seeing her hands flip another page, look up at me, and say, 'Look! Read this part! Isn't this funny?' Ever since that day, she was always outside at the lake. Many other children came up to the top. But it was always her spot."

My throat chokes up. I remember that. One day, my friends asked me if I wanted to go to the lake with them. They always asked me this just to be polite, knowing the answer would be 'No, sorry. I need to stop at the bookstore.' But that day, I said, 'Yea sure.' I never showed up at the bookstore again.

Clyde looks at me and grins. "You asked why I wanted to ask you. I wanted to ask you because I still believe that girl who would read constantly at the very top, who smiled at the smallest things, is still in there. And I wanted to find out if I was right."

Getting up, I walk over to him. Smiling shyly, I press my lips against his softly. I feel him stiffen with shock but then move with me.

We were high school sweethearts for two years.

This is the story that comes after Clyde, that comes after the bookstore, that takes place during my summer in the beautiful land of San Diego. This is the story of miracles.

* * *

The tall, regal palm trees move with the wind. Stretching my arm out the open window, I sigh. Finally I'm far away.

"Hey, do you think we can get a boat," my best friend, Naomi Winters, wonders as we pass the dock. She turns the volume dial of the radio and "Starships" by Nicki Minaj blasts out then fades as the dial turns to 1.

I shrug. "I think my grandmother has a boat. It's called Aurora or something like that."

Naomi grins. "Can we take it out for a spin?"

Tapping my fingers on the leather wheel, I nod. "Yea I think so. Penny will be out for a couple of days because of some urgent business, but I don't think she'll mind having us take Aurora out."

Singing along to the radio, we watch the ocean fly by as we drive onto a quiet street. A soft eggshell blue house greets us as we turn into its driveway. An LA Lakers flag waves in greeting. Getting out, we smile.

Naomi claps her hands and squeals. "Its perfect. And right next to the beach."

I groan. "Oh god. Don't remind me."

"You're still caught over him? He's an dumb ass for leaving you for Michelle. You'll find so many better guys here. You just need to clear your head and see the world isn't a endless pile of hell waiting to happen."

Laughing, I loop my arm through Naomi's. "Let's go inside."

"I'm serious, though! Ariel, there are other fish in the sea!" she says as we walk through the kitchen opening random cabinets and inspecting the rooms.

"I don't fish!" I yell from the bathroom. A green rug covers the floor and apple scented soap sits in a silver dish. A sign above the door reads "Out Fishing."

Naomi groans. "Fine! There are other... books in the library!" Joining me in the large bedroom we are to share, she crosses her arms over her small chest.

"Ariel, I am your best friend. And as your best friend, I command you to stop MOPING and enjoy San Diego! We have one LAST summer together before I go to University of Oregon and you go to UCSD and you are NOT ruining it!"

I gasp. "I am NOT moping!"

Naomi raises one eyebrow. "Really? Then tell me. Why is it that whenever you leave the room I see that there is a file on your computer called "Good Ol' Days" and it is FILLED with pictures of you and Clyde kissing, licking each other's ice cream cones, and even more KISSING!"

I bite my lip. "The last time I looked at those pictures was 3 months ago."

Naomi snorts. "Ok. Sure. If 3 months ago was last week."

I sigh.

Naomi sticks her pinky out infront of my face. "You PROMISE not to ruin this vacation for me?"

Rolling my eyes, I loop my pinky around hers. "I PROMISE."

Wrapping her arms around me, she yelps with excitement. "Good. Now lets go explore!"

* * *

"2 vanillas, please," I ask the waitress and hand her a few bills. She gives me two large ice cream cones with a scoop of vanilla icecream.

Walking barefoot on the beach, I lick my ice cream cone.

"I'm just saying that how can you not be happy in San Diego?" Naomi asks, her tongue white with icecream.

I shrug. "I am. Just... not as much as I used to be."

Naomi groans. "If this is still about Clyde, remember, you promised me!"

I smile. "I'm not ruining your vacation yet. Therefore, I'm keeping my promise."

Naomi shakes her head. "Whatever."

Musicians sing love songs on the boardwalk and rollerskaters glide in and out of the crowds. Bright neon balloons fly in the air and kids laugh as they run playing Tag. San Diego was a place of miracles yet I just didn't feel the bliss I was supposed to.

Naomi spreads her arms out infront of her. "Look, Ariel. You're in San Diego. It's a place of bliss, a place of happiness. Hot guys on EVERY corner, amazing food, the beach at every doorstep, and your best friend right beside you. If you don't try to make this a vacation worth remembering, I will try. From now on, my soul purpose is for both of us to have FUN. To have endless flings and just let out this beautiful laugh that makes everyone stop and stare. To have you sing on the streets and me dance in the streets and just ENJOY what San Diego has to offer. You are going to spend your next four years in this city and I am determined to make you LOVE it." She crosses her arms and puffs out her chest in determination.

Licking my ice cream cone, I shrug. "Sure. Why not?"

She smiles. "Good. Now lets go." She throws her barely licked ice cream in the nearest trash can, and I do the same.

Pulling me the way we came, she laughs.

"Wait, where are we going?" I yell.

* * *

The sun shines on the back of our necks as we run down the dock looking for the small boat with pink lettering spelling out "Aurora." Men sit drinking beer on the decks of their sailboats, ready to set sail on the Pacific, and they eye us as we run past. Finally we reach her at the end of the line.

It bobs in the waves and the water laps its sides. It sits like a jewel of the sea among the large grey rocks of ships around it. Giggling, we climb onto the edge, and I untie it from the dock.

Naomi takes the wheel and guides us to open ocean, only a strip of land signifying where we were. The green blue water beckons us to jump in.

"You know, my mom said that sometimes when the water looks as blue as a teal crayon, then magic is awake and miracles happen." Naomi says with a whisper.

I laugh. "Yea, but your mother used to be obsessed with elf folklore and everyone thought she was crazy so she became a psychiatrist."

Naomi sends me a look that could kill.

I take her hand and squeeze it. Pulling her to the edge of the boat, I throw back my head and laugh a throat filling laugh. Naomi joins in and soon the whole world seems to echoe us in laughter.

"One," I yell to the sky.

"Two," Naomi screams.

"Three!" We close our eyes and jump into the freezing waters of the Pacific.

**Author's note: **I wanted to try out a story like this with a modern character getting pulled into the wonderful world of Narnia. Stick with me while I make an effort to write this. Don't worry. It won't be all lovey dovey. I hate stories like that. And don't forget, reviews do let me know what I should make better and what I should continue.


	2. Chapter 2: Boats and Books

Salt fills my nose and I smile through my tears of joy. Naomi squeezes my hand and I squeeze it back.

Kicking my way up for air, I open my eyes. The sun seems to have changed position in the sky and the strip of land looks more wild, more overgrown. Naomi smiles beside me.

"That was so much FUN!" she screams to the blue sky. Looking up, my brows furrow. A second ago there were no clouds. How did the sky get filled with puffy white things in that amount of time?

Turning around, my breath catches in my throat. A large ship looms behind us taking the place of "Aurora." This boat looks a bit like the one used in "The Pirates of the Carribean" except this one is more elegant and grander in size. On its side, written in royal purple paint, is "The Mariposa."

People and many mythical creatures look over the edge of their ship laughing in surprise. Naomi bites her lip and I hear her gulp. I gulp too.

"Naomi?" I whisper.

She nods.

"I don't think we're in San Diego anymore." I frown.

A rope is thrown over "The Mariposa" and a man climbs down it to swim over to us. He swims elegantly and with marveling speed and in a matter of seconds stops infront of us. His wet blonde hair falls into his ocean blue eyes that crinkle as he smiles a grin that shows a perfect, white set of teeth. His skin looks rough and slightly tan from probably the many hours outside. A scar mars his cheek.

He grins. "Hello, m'ladies. May I ask how you mysteriously appeared in the middle of a sea?"

Naomi opens and closes her mouth like a goldfish.

I blink several times.

He chuckles. "Here. Take my arm. Clearly, you're too dazed to speak." Pulling us onto the deck of "The Mariposa", he lets us take several breaths before bowing.

"I am High King Peter the Magnificent of Narnia." He puffs out his chest with pride of his title.

Someone snorts behind him. It is a beautiful woman with black hair tumbling down her black and ocean blue eyes sparkling with laughter.

Peter looks over at her. "What?"

The woman grins. "You have grown quite vain over the past few years, haven't you brother?"

His brows furrow. "What do you mean, Susan?"

The woman ignores his question and instead smiles at us. "Hello. I am Queen Susan the Gentle."

We gape at her like animals. Several of the crew on deck with us laugh and whisper amongst themselves.

Naomi is the first to speak. "I'm Naomi. And I would like to know where the hell we are!"

Susan smiles at her. "Why, you are in Narnia! Well, you're about to dock at Narnia."

Naomi snorts. "Yea, Narnia. Sure. Isn't that some fairytale? Written by C.S. Lewis?"

Peter cocks his head. "Excuse me? Fairytale?"

Naomi rolls her eyes. "Written by C.S. Lewis? After World War 2? About some group of kids who got sent to a magical land through a wardrobe, a lion that killed some witch, and then they all lived happily ever after?"

Susan smiles nervously at Naomi. "Narnia is a world of fact. My siblings and I came through a wardrobe to Narnia, Aslan defeated the White Witch, and currently all of Narnia and its adjoining lands live in peace and harmony. It is no myth. And whether some 'Lewis' wrote it, I do not know of."

Naomi shrugs. "Whatever. Sure. But if this is some reality TV show about teens being convinced of fake lands, then I'm going to make sure to personally kill all of you."

I roll my eyes. "Shut up, Naomi."

She raises her hands in defense. "What?"

Ignoring her, I curtsey. "Nice to meet you, Your Majesty. I'm Ariel."

Susan sighs, happy with the fact SOMEONE believe her and her brother. "Please. Call me Susan, Ariel. My mother gave me one name and I plan to ONLY be called by that name."

Naomi crosses her arms over her chest. "Ariel, you actually BELIEVE them?"

I glare at my friend. "Listen. You wanted an adventure. How much more of an adventure do you need than a magical land filled with two hot kings and magic and mythical creatures that can TALK? Because you never really specified what you needed."

"I meant something FUN that will bring you out of your mopey stage and for you to get over the stupid dumb ass called Clyde! When people say adventure, they don't mean being sent away to some mythical land that doesn't even EXIST!" Naomi spits out.

I raise my arms in defense. "Well, you said so yourself. Enjoy what life has to give you. So ENJOY it. Even if it IS fake."

Naomi shakes her head and laughs. "You really are desperate for ANYTHING to believe in."

I glare at her. "At least I believe in something."

I don't notice the deck has become quiet, listening in on our argument, and that they all are shaking their heads sadly.

Susan frowns. "Listen, ladies. We do not know when you two will be sent back, IF you will be sent back. Would you like some proper attire for the time being?"

Glaring at Naomi, I say calmly, "I would love some, Susan." Turning my head, I follow the Gentle Queen below decks.

"You and your friend seem on bad terms. Is there anything we can do?"

I shake my head. "No. Naomi and I will be fine. We always are. That's just what best friends do." Susan nods and opens a door to a cabin.

Ruffling through a large wardrobe, she finds a green and silver dress for me. It is simple that hugs my waist and lets me move. Stripping my jean shorts and green tanktop off, I slip the dress on my petite frame. I leave my black Converse on.

Brushing my hair, Susan hums a lullaby to herself.

"Your Ma- I mean, Susan, where will me and Naomi stay once we dock?"

She thinks to herself. "Lucy will make arrangements. We'll find a room for you at Cair Paravel."

Stepping back, Susan smiles. "Perfect." My honey blonde hair is put into a loose bun at the nape of my neck and my bangs frame my face. She has set a butterfly barette to hold my bun and a small, diamond pendant hangs on a necklace on my neck.

Taking my hand, she leads me back on deck. Naomi sits on the ground, still wet, braiding her long wavy chocolate brown hair. Her white tanktop is see through, and her purple lace bra pokes through. She seems to be singing, and when we walk closer, I recognize the song.

_Give me a second I,_

_I need to get my story straight_

_My friends are in the bathroom getting higher than the Empire State_

_My lover she's waiting for me just across the bar_

_My seat's been taken by some sunglasses asking 'bout a scar_

I start to sing along under my breath.

_I know I gave it to you months ago_

_I know you're trying to forget_

_But between the drinks and subtle things_

_The holes in my apologies, you know_

_I'm trying hard to take it back_

_So if by the time the bar closes_

_And you feel like falling down_

_I'll carry you home_

We reach her, and I sing along at top volume.

_Tonight_

_We are young_

_So lets set the world on fire_

_We can burn brighter than the sun_

_Tonight_

_We are young_

_So lets set the world on fire_

_We can burn brighter than the sun_

Naomi looks up at me with her big brown eyes and I see tears sparkle at the corners of her eyes.

Plopping down next to her, I keep singing as I fishtail her hair.

_Now I know that I'm not_

_All that you got_

_I guess that I, I just thought_

_Maybe we could find new ways to fall apart_

_But our friends are back_

_So let's raise a cup_

'_Cause I found someone to carry me home_

_Tonight_

_We are young_

_So let's set the world on fire_

_We can burn brighter_

"Than the sun," I finish and tie her braid together using my pink elastic on my wrist.

She hugs me and I hug her back. Her tears pour down my back, and my tears pour down hers. She is the only thing I have left that I can still count on and I was about to give that up.

Peter claps from beside Susan. The deck erupts in applause.

"That was wonderful. What is the song called? I have not heard of it," he says confused.

Naomi grins at me. " 'We are Young' by Fun. You wouldn't know of it. It's from the 21st century."

Susan smiles. "Well it was lovely. My siblings would love for you to perform for us the next dinner. Can you prepare a song for tonight?"

I shrug. "Sure. Why not?"

In a few minutes, we docked at Cair Paravel with crowds cheering for the King and Queen. Centaurs stomp their hooves and fauns play their flutes. Mermaids wave their glittering fins in the air in greeting and birds fly over to the boat and chitter chatter amongst themselves.

"Queen Susan, do you have any nuts?"

"King Peter, you are back!"

"Your Majesties, who are the ladies?"

Naomi and I gape at the sheer size of everyone. The palace looms ahead on the cliff with more creatures waving from windows.

A man with a silver circlet on his head and a gold lion on his emerald cloak grins at the sight of the nobles. "Sister! Brother! You have come back!"

Peter embraced the man and laughed. "Why Edmund, I say, is that STUBBLE?" He guffaws and the creatures around him laugh.

Susan hugs her brother and smiles gently. "Ed, a mere hour ago we came upon two ladies swimming in the sea. Ed, they came from the 21st CENTURY! From EARTH!"

Naomi and I curtsey and we blush at the sight of the king. He looks like a male, handsome copy of Susan with muscular arms and chest, mischievous blue eyes, and a humorous smile. His floppy black hair is in his eyes and he pushes it back with his rough hand.

Bowing clumsily, he grins. "Pleased to meet you, m'ladies..."

I smile. "Ariel." He winks at me and I feel my cheeks redden.

Naomi rolls her eyes at his attempts to impress her friend. "Naomi."

The man kisses each of our hands. "I am King Edmund the Just. But you can call me Sweet Cheeks." Peter coughs from behind his brother.

I gape and slap his arm. "Really? Well you can call me Worst Nightmare."

Naomi laughs and hugs me. "Don't you love her? She's quite a catch, ain't she, SWEET CHEEKS?" I smirk.

Edmund's mouth drops open and someone giggles from beside him. That's when I notice the auburn haired, blue eyed, petite girl. She wears a dress similar to mine but of blue and gold.

The girl covers her mouth with her hand. "I'm sorry, Ed. But that just might be the only two girls who DON'T fall for you!"

I curtsey at her. "I'm Ariel."

Naomi follows my lead. "Naomi, your Majesty."

The girl gives us each a hug, taking us by surprise. "Queen Lucy the Valiant. But I hate being called that. Lucy will do."

Ed clears his throat. "Well, we should REALLY be making our way back to Cair Paravel. Don't want Ladies Ariel and Naomi waiting for their beds."

I smile at him sweetly. "Bet you'd really like to get into our beds."

Peter coughs out, "Bet he would."

Smirking at Ed's red face, I saunter off slyly Naomi in my wake.

I've never felt this good. Ever since Clyde, I've lost my flirtatious and confident attitude and Naomi soon became the more outgoing one. But know I remember my mother's words. This chase sure is going to be fun, I think to myself with a grin.

* * *

I plop myself onto my large, emerald green bed. The ceiling above me is painted with depictions of Narnian history. The beginning of Narnia is at the far left with the golden lion roaring at several animals and their mouths open, talking unlike others. Then the four kings and queens appearing infront of the lamppost with their faces showing shock. The death of the White Witch, her white cloak lying like a patch of snow on the grass. The coronation of the four, their thrones almost sparkling. Rabadash turning into a donkey with all of Narnia and Archenland guffawing to the sight, Aravis and Cor in the background. Each setting is exquisitely painted, the artist successful and well known probably.

Outside, birds chirp and talk and the white curtains dance back and forth with the wind. After we docked, we came to the castle and were shown to our rooms, with little time to marvel. Naomi immediately locked her door and was probably knocked out in dreams of hot shirtless boys playing volleyball and us exploring San Diego. I told the four I would meet them in an hour or two.

I sigh. I hated being alone. Being alone meant thinking and thinking meant reminiscing. It was a horrible time and I usually ended up in tears and cursing his name. But know I thought of the good times.

Him kissing my forehead as we fall asleep in my bed, then him sneaking out so my dad wouldn't find my boyfriend in the hourse. Me giggling as he said a stupid joke. I think my relationship with Clyde was a turning point in my life. I changed. I didn't need to prepare for chases anymore. So I lost my overconfident, sarcastic self and morphed into a gentle, lovely woman who wouldn't dream of taking a risk. What a stupid mistake I made.

Yet this afternoon, I think I saw that I still had that in me. That overconfident, kick ass attitude was still me, just hidden away, not needed until now.

God, I missed out on so many things. Like skinny dipping, drinking, staying out late at night, making out with random strangers then leaving them with just sweet, syrupy memories. I was like a witch, a spirit, a gypsy way back when, intoxicating, pulling boys in, then leaving them hang. And then Clyde came. Clyde broke my shell and left me a soft, sweet lump. He brought out what I loved, innocence, and used it against me.

Not anymore. I was not going to be that soft, sweet lump anymore. No. I realize that now. Laying on the plush bed, staring at the Narnian history, my lips curl into a smirk. If the world thinks I'm such a goody two shoes, then I sure will prove them wrong.

Getting up, I straighten my dress. Leaving my room, I go explore the halls of Cair Paravel.

Female dwarves hurry past me in the halls with bundles of clothes in their hands and occasionally trays of food. A faun sometimes appears with many scrolls falling from his hands, and even rarely, a human passes me. But most of the time its just dwarves.

I must have been daydreaming because I suddenly fall and yelp with pain. Books lay around me and a man is over me with a smirk on his face. A golden lion is stamped on his chest.

"You know, if you wanted me to be on top of you, you could've just asked," he says and winks.

Rolling my eyes, I lean back on my elbows exposing my chest. I notice his eyes wander down and he gulps.

I pout. "What? Is Sweet Cheeks embarrassed of a girl underneath him? Didn't have enough practice?"

He smirks. "I had plenty of practice. Or does that bother you?"

I snort. "Why am I even talking to you? You're a stranger. A quite impolite stranger at that."

Edmund gasps. "Is that anyway to treat your host?"

"Is that anyway to treat your guest? Especially on the ground hovering over her?" I counter.

Edmund's blood boils. Getting up, he offers me his hand. I decline it.

Wiping any vermin off my dress, I straighten. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he coldly says.

The mood suddenly turns awkward and harsh. I clear my throat. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting, your majesty. Enjoy your time at the…" I glance at the books on the floor, some of which possess vulgar titles. "…library."

Curtseying, I walk away.

Edmund shakes his head. She is an ass, stubborn and headstrong, yet has the qualities of a lady. She can twist you around her finger toying with you, then suddenly blush and turn formal. And Edmund got that all from 3 hours with her.

Picking his books up, he watches her go then proceeds to return the novels to Aclepius.

* * *

**Authors Note: **Thank you for staying with me for the second chapter. I hope you liked it! As you can tell, Naomi and Ariel do know of Narnia from the books and this will lead to future events in Summer of Miracles.

Don't forget to REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!


	3. Chapter 3: Pigs and Arguments

She was nervous. Naomi Rose Winters was nervous. It's JUST a dinner, she thinks. Yea, right.

She's dining with royals. ROYALS. No matter how fake, totally normal, British they are. Not only that, but if this IS a reality TV show, then Naomi is going to be making a fool of herself on international TV. At least she looked good, Naomi smiles to herself.

Lucy did her hair in a simple braid then twisted it into a complex updo. Her dress was simple yet elegant. It was midnight blue with long golden sleeves and golden embroidery all along the sides.

Dinner was starting in only a few minutes, and she was waiting for Ariel outside the Great Hall doors. Naomi could already hear the clatter of silverware against plate and laughter. Where was Ariel?

"Naomi! Naomi!" Ariel called out from the end of the hall. Checking to make sure no one was watching, she picked up her purple skirts and sprinted to reach her.

Blowing a lock of hair out of her face, she smiles. "Sorry I'm late. Lost track of the time."

Naomi rolls her eyes and grabs her hand. "Come on."

Opening the large double doors, Naomi feels everyone's eyes turn to them. The family was seated at the top with the help gorging themselves around the royals. She raises an eyebrow? The maids sitting next to queens and kings? That's a first.

Peter downs his goblet and roars. "Ladies! Please! Come and join us!"

Naomi cautiously approaches, Ariel hot on her heels. The room was beautiful. Tapestries hung on the walls showing the past royals and behind the table, the golden lion.

Candles were everywhere, basking the space in a romantic glow. Chandeliers hung at the top of the ceiling. Their heels clacked as they walked to the table.

The girls curtsey with shy smiles. "Your majesties."

Lucy grins and takes a sip of blood red wine. "Please. Spare the formalities and eat."

Sitting down across from them, their eyes widen at the sight of all the food. A golden brown pig sits with its mouth wide open, a red, glossy apple stuck in its jaw. Plates of steamed vegetables let out an aroma fresh and spicy. Different varieties of spaghetti are covered with foreign cheeses and what looked like a stew. Smoked salmon was drenched in lemon juice and herbs, shrimp looked up at the ceiling, drumsticks were glazed with grease, large meat pies were grabbed and devoured, tureens of fruit cooled next to pots of baked potatoes and mashed potatoes sizzling, and omelettes were served from their frying pans. If this was TV, they must go into making everything believable, Naomi thinks.

Peter laughs. "It's just food."

"It's just so MUCH food," Ariel stutters out. She immediately starts piling fettucini alfredo on her plate with shrimp, drumsticks, smoked salmon, baked potatoes, and some pig.

Naomi follows her lead, piling the same meal to her plate.

"You must have fast metabolisms," Edmund mutters under his breath.

Ariel chokes on her wine. "Excuse me?"

Edmund rolls his eyes. "I SAID you two look very pretty today."

Naomi smiles through her food. "Are you implying that by how much we took for dinner means we're FAT?"

Peter frowns. "Come on, Ed. You've been tormenting the girls enough today. I don't think they find it amusing ESPECIALLY after just arriving in a foreign world with no explanation." Although his mouth was turned down, his eyes said otherwise.

Ariel gapes. "Excuse me, but if I remember correctly you didn't fare better than us when you first arrived. You didn't even believe Lucy in the first place." Smirking, she twirls some fettucini onto her fork.

Lucy bites her lip. "And how would you know that?"

Naomi sets down her fork. Are these four STUPID? "I already told you. This world is fake. This is a reality TV show being filmed right now, and I'm NOT falling for it. C.S. Lewis wrote about a FAKE world about FAKE people and FAKE creatures. Come on. Get real."

Susan takes a nimble bite of her potato. "I'm sorry, but this is not a fake world. Narnia is real. We came from the same world as you did. From the 1940s. Through a wardrobe. In England. In Fi-," but Naomi interrupts her.

"In Finchley I know. I watched the movies. " Naomi stuffs potato and meat pies into her mouth with a satisfied expression.

Peter sighs. "Ladies, can we please enjoy a nice dinner together? Susan and I have just returned from a VERY grueling journey to the Lone Islands and Naomi and Ariel are, although dilusional, probably extremely tired. Now please. Calm down."

Ariel opens her mouth. "We are not dilusio," but Edmund interrupts her.

"Shut up." Glaring at the four of them, he turns his head back down to inspect his food.

Ariel glares. "Well, excuse me for raining on your parade. But how would you like it if YOU just found out you were transported from San Diego, California to a magical land where everyone speaks with a BRITISH ACCENT!"

Edmund's ears turn red. "At least when you came you weren't on the line between staying alive or dying," he says quietly. Taking a sip of his wine, he stands.

"Thank you everyone for attending. I am now going to retreat to my quarters. Have a good evening," he proclaims. Nodding to his siblings, he leaves the Great Hall.

Susan frowns. "3 months and 17 days," she says to herself.

Peter looks up at his younger sister. "What did you say, sister?"

Turning to her brother, she looks dazed. "What? Oh nothing. I think I'm going to check on Ed." Susan follows Edmund.

Ariel looks down at her lap and bites her lip. "I'm sorry."

Lucy takes her hand. "It is ok Ariel. Things were tense anyway before Naomi and you came."

Naomi gulps. "I think I'm going to go as well. It's been a long day. Ariel?"

Her friend nods. "Mmhm. I'm coming Naomi. Thank you, your majesties. It was a wonderful dinner." Curtseying, she walks after Naomi.

A centuar appears by Peter's side and whispers something. The High King's face turns even more grim.

"Lucy, what do we have planned for tomorrow?"

His sister thinks. "I believe you have a meeting with several Archenland officials. And Susan keeps urging us to go out to the fields for some archery practice. Naomi and Ariel will have to attend that so we can see if they have any potential."

Peter nods, in a daze. "Cancel the meeting and have Veinforger prepare Destiny for me. I need to make a quick trip to Calormen."

Lucy nods, understanding. "And how long will you be gone?"

Peter bites his lip. "A week. Maybe two."

Getting up, he bows. "Good night, Lu. I have a long day ahead." He leaves muttering something under his breath.

Lucy sighs, all alone. Turning to the badger next to her, she smiles sadly. "Why can't we just enjoy what life has to give us?"

The badger who's name is Brockhoist pats his queen's knee. "All will be well, your majesty. Aslan will make sure of it."

* * *

"Knock knock," Naomi says while knocking on his bedroom door.

Peter looks up from his bed then looks back to the ceiling.

"Lucy wanted you to drink this milk and nuts before going to bed. Said it'll help. But I can see you're already in bed." Naomi sets the goblet on his bedside table.

"What would you do if a Taarkhan asked for your sister's hand in marriage and said if she said no he would wreak havoc upon all of Narnia?" Peter says, not taking his eyes off the cloud painted on his ceiling.

Naomi sits down on the edge of his four poster bed. "Well, I do not know what a Taarkhan is, BUT I would probably make a deal or something. Give him money. A horse or whatever the transportation is. A ship."

His toned stomach rises and falls with a shattered sob. "I do not understand. Why were we, as men and human beings, born selfish then forced to fall in love with the most beautiful women ever? And when said no, you can't marry her, we decide to turn to desperate measures and FORCE the human race to give up the woman? Why? I do not understand."

Naomi laughs and strokes his arm. She feels him shiver at her touch. "I ask myself the same thing almost every day. Why are men so stupid?"

Peter shakes his head with laughter. "Why are we?"

Sitting up, he frowns at her. "I'm sorry."

Naomi cocks her head. "Why?"

Peter looks into her deep, chocolate brown eyes. "For not understanding. Of course you think this is fake. Hell, I did too. But one day you'll realize this is far from fantasy. Narnia is real. "

Naomi chuckles. "That's what a fake person would say."

He laughs. "You're ok for someone who is oblivious, headstrong, an ass sometimes, and good looking.

Naomi throws back her head with laughter. "Are you saying I'm good looking?" She makes a model pose.

"Good night, m'lady!" Peter chuckles.

"I thought this is no time for formalities!"

"Good night, Naomi!"

Naomi smiles and throws him a kiss. "Good night, your majesty." Peter catches it with a grin.

Closing the door behind her, she clutches her heart. What just happened?

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **I want to thank my three reviewers so far, **GlamourGirl190, Aims5, and princess emma of narnia. **Thank you three so much! I hope you liked this chapter. It was more from Naomi's point of view, because it can't JUST be Ariel. This chapter wasn't very good though. I had writer's block. But I hope you enjoyed it anyway!


	4. ANNOUNCEMENT MUST READ

**ANNOUNCEMENT:**

I will not be updating any chapters this entire summer. I'm extremely sorry, but that's just what it is. I'm visiting my grandparents in Russia this summer because the last time I've seen them was four years ago. I'll try writing chapters, but I can't guarantee an update due to the fact my Russian grandparents don't have a computer. I'm extremely sorry (again) so don't get mad if I don't update.

While I'm gone, to keep your mind busy waiting DESPERATELY for the next chapter of SOM, you should read:

Across the Worlds by Star Dragon Fire

The High King, The Duchess, and the Secret by tastyasitgets

BUT don't forget completely about SOM because of how AMAZING these Narnia stories are. Haha. Thanks for reading this!

Love,

Rita


	5. Chapter 4: Dreams and Training

I am drowning.

The crystal clear blue water envelopes me, tossing and turning. I squeeze my eyes shut to protect them from the salt. Ha. What good will that do?

The sun shines up above and I feel its light even under water. I always believed light is good. Maybe not.

Please, I think. Please, save me, I plead through my thoughts.

Voices drift towards me. Laughter and the clinking of champagne glasses fill my ears. Temptation forces me to open my eyes. I gasp. I am no longer underwater. Instead, I'm in my high school auditorium. Larry the Lion's smiling face hangs from banners and the always present smell of sweat and rubber brings a warm sense of home to me.

The auditorium is set up in the same arrangement we used for prom. Red tables are scattered everywhere and golden balloons bob in the air. Several beautiful chandeliers hang around the perimeter of the room while at the center the disco ball spins to the beat of the music. The 2012 graduating class is everywhere, dressed in their prom gowns and tuxes. Their laughter is bubbly with a faint tinge of alcohol.

I smile. Taking a glass of champagne, I down it in one gulp. The sweet yet bitter after taste dances on my tongue and begs for more.

"Ariel! Ariel!" Someone yells. Sighing, I turn to see a faintly drunk Clyde with Michelle on his arm. His blank brown eyes follow the movements of his date in her tight, low cut, red dress. Her long black hair tumbles down her back and chest and she laughs at Clyde's child like and ignorant behavior.

Not taking his eyes off Michelle, Clyde says, "Ariel. Why did you leave me? Am I not good enough?"

My mouth drops open. "What? Me? Left you? You cheated on me with Michelle! Any girl in her right mind would leave you."

Clyde grins sloppily at Michelle's huge chest. "It was just a fling," he manages to drawl out.

I'm tempted to throw my tiny glass at him but instead set it down on the table.

Michelle seems hardly annoyed at Clyde's words. Instead, she smiles at me.

"Ariel. Relax. We're not even together. I came to him to get over Jordan. Plus, you were too busy with a certain king." She wiggles her eyebrows at the last word.

I turn red with anger. "What? What ki-," but I'm interrupted by a low voice behind me.

"Excuse me. May I take the lady to dance?"

Clyde growls. Michelle giggles at my red face.

She curtseys and solemnly says, "Of course, your majesty."

Turning, I gulp. Why was he here? He doesn't belong here. But by the way he stands in his suit, he sure does give off that 'I belong' vibe.

His black eyebrows rise up at seeing me and his blue eyes sparkle with amusement. Holding out his hand, he bows.

"Will milady care to join me for a dance?"

My mouth opens to spit out a retort but instead smooth, silky words spill out.

"Of course, my king."

Edmund leads me to the center where Naomi and Peter grin at us. Lucy giggles while dancing with some mathlete. Susan is nowhere to be seen.

Grabbing my waist, Ed grins at my startled expression. Biting my inner lip, I wrap my arms around his neck taking him by surprise.

Looking at me, he says, "I thought dying would hurt."

His eyes take up the room. "But death is...quite nice." He nods with approval.

Taking a step back, I frown. "What are you talking about?"

Naomi giggles her head in the crook of Peter's neck. "Ariel, you were so funny. I wish Susan could see you."

Peter smiles. "You used to be the belle of the ball with your jokes."

Lucy takes my hand. "I'm so glad you're here with us. It wouldn't be any fun without you."

Naomi lets go of Peter and takes my other hand. "Why, don't you remember silly? We drowned after jumping off that boat that summer."

Edmund laughs. "And that stupid monkey and ass messed up Narnia."

I gulp. "Well, we made it out alive, right?"

Lucy laughs at my naivety. "Of course not. And neither did we. It's too bad poor little Susan never got onto the train. I guess we'll just see her in a few years then."

"You're in heaven," Edmund says with a grin.

Peter nods. "And today's the grand event."

Suddenly, a roar ripples through the crowd. A huge golden lion pads onto the stage to applause.

"Aslan," I whisper in awe.

His calm powerful voice fills each head.

"Today, we celebrate a joyous occasion. Lady Ariel's one year death day. She was a valued member of society and saved Narnia keeping its spirit alive for many years. Today is a grand honor for her. She is getting her angel wings and leaving us for rebirth. Who knows? Maybe she will be a faun. Or a dove. Or a queen. Or just an idea."

The crowd boos and they look at me with pity in their eyes.

Lucy wipes away a tear. Edmund wraps his arms around her and she sobs into his chest.

Aslan quiets the crowd. "Yes she is leaving us but it is not a time of sadness. More a time of purity. She can now bring even more peace and change to a world. And you will watch her journey along the way."

Aslan smiles at me. "Lady Ariel. Please step up to the stage."

The crowd beckons me to leave them with advice and condolences.

Peter hugs me. "Goodbye Ariel."

Naomi crushes me in a bear hug. "Ariel I'm so proud of you! Go get 'em!"

Still wiping away her tears, Lucy smiles shyly. "Promise me you'll come back soon!"

Edmund takes both of my hands in his and looks me in the eye.

"Don't forget." Before I can contemplate those words, he leans down to kiss me, his mouth warming mine. His hands tug me to him. I beg for more (surprisingly) but he ends it with an intense look in the eyes.

"For old time's sake," he manages to say before gently pushing me to Aslan.

My lips tingle where his have been. What? For old time's sake? I, I, I don't understand. I hate Edmund. He's too honest, sarcastic, vulgar, mean, ignorant, confusing, and clearly desperate for something. But then why did that kiss leave butterflies in my stomach?

I'm so caught up in my thoughts I don't notice my thoughts on how I'm DEAD and I'm being REINCARNATED and how this was SCARY AS HELL. Although it was heaven.

Nor do I notice Aslan breathing on me. The butterflies and thoughts disappear and I feel warmth and... honey? course through my veins.

It's natural, I think. Death comes to everyone. It's an honor to be granted a life again. And by the great Aslan himself.

Turning to me, Aslan's brown, gold flecked eyes lock onto mine.

"Ariel, you are wonderful. A heroine of the modern age. Someday, you will realize that love and life is a gift, and when you embrace everything the two have to give you that is when you have truly lived, "he whispers.

Smiling one last time, Aslan breaths on my eyes. I feel them droop and the last thing I see is everyone I know wipe away their tears and start to pray.

* * *

"Wake up! Ariel, I am prepared to throw a bucket of cold water on you but sadly that would be un-lady like and there are no buckets lying around. Curse manners."

Rolling over on my side, I hug my pillow.

"Just…one more…minute…..Mama," I yawn.

Shaking her head, Naomi jumps on top of me. "Mama isn't here! Now wake up!"

A foot makes contact with my stomach and I scream in pain. Glaring at Naomi, I throw a pillow at her while clutching my belly.

"Shit Naomi! Are you trying to kill me?"

Sitting up in my bed, I realize where I am.

Groaning, I plop back into a sleeping position.

"There's not place like home. There's no place like home!" I whisper into my pillow.

Naomi grabs my calves and pulls me off the bed.

"You aren't Dorothy. Now, we missed breakfast and Susan said we have to be down in the fields by one to start training for something. Well, my watch says its 12:43 but it's stuck in the same position since we got here so get off that butt of yours so we're not late!"

Grabbing onto the bed frame with both my hands, I kick my legs.

"I don't want to get up! I want to go home."

Giving up, Naomi sits down on the edge of my bed.

"Listen, you're the one who said embrace what life has to give you and a whole bunch of other karma crap and that we're supposed to DEAL with the fact Narnia is an adventure. I'm just doing what you told me to. And let me tell you, I've already had an adventure when a cute lord or prince or whatever woke me up shirtless and I had to deal with no shower and toothpaste!"

I sigh. She's right. And to let off some steam, what better way that tormenting Edmund? Especially after my dream.

What was that anyway? Was that a warning? Or just too much stress building up? I was usually the one with the calm level head and the answers, but even I couldn't understand a thing. I die? After we jump off the boat? And Edmund and I were…. together? I shudder at the thought. Maybe the dream was a cause of the major cramps I've been having. My period IS soon so my hormones are acting up. Yea, that's logical.

And if it is a vision, I can keep it from happening. All I have to do is not get together with Edmund to keep everyone alive. And that'll be easy.

One thing was for certain. If the vision were to come true, then that would mean Naomi and I would eventually return back to Earth. After we do whatever plan Aslan the magic lion has devised for us.

Getting up, I nod. "You're right."

Naomi frowns. "I am?" Seeing my annoyed expression, she smiles. "Yea, I am."

Opening the wardrobe doors, I pick out a nice moveable dress, plum purple with no embroidery. It has light gauze over the skirt bringing out the golden tone of my skin. Pulling my into a ponytail, I go outside with Naomi.

* * *

"I turned all red when I saw him but the lord hardly seemed to notice. Did you know nobles work out? 'Cause he had a six pack. And biceps. And a six pack," Naomi says while we step onto the emerald green turf.

I laugh trying to imagine it. "Probably due to all the sword fighting."

Naomi shrugs. "Still."

I shove her gently with my hip. "Looks like SOMEONE is realizing why I don't date boys back home. Because they're all jerks with no abs. You seem to paying pretty good attention to the guys and… body parts here."

She rolls her eyes. "You sound like a thirteen year old. Remind me why we're still friends?"

I grin. "Because you would never survive without moi protecting your little heart from dumb asses with Justin Beiber hair."

"Who's Justin Beiber?" a voice sounds from behind us.

Susan glares at us, probably mad at us being late.

Naomi smiles giddily. "He's a hot superstar, god of all music. He just broke up with Selena Gomez. She plays a wizard on a TV show."

Susan cocks her head. "They have wizards in the future?"

I shake my head. "She pretends to be one. They're not real. Unlike here where mermaids and fairies are on every corner."

Susan snorts. "Please. Fairies are creatures of myth."

I smiled. With all the minotaurs and elves running around this place, you would expect a fairy to pop in once in a while.

Su continues. "Anyway, you two are late." Her expression turns back to the menacing glare hiding the spark of amusement in her brilliant blue eyes.

Naomi glances at me with a smirk playing on her lips. "Someone wouldn't get up this morning."

I put my arms up in defense. "At least I wasn't fawning over how nobles have amazing abs because they work out."

Susan bites her lip to hide back a laugh. "However fascinating that sounds, we should really get to training."

Right at that moment, that imbecile of a king decides to join our little trio.

"Are we just going to stand around here talking about shoes or are we actually planning to get some training done? I have very important things I need to do in the library."

I grin. "Hey, you're up and walking. You seemed kinda down last night." I put on a fake pout to his anger.

"Only because you were there, milady," Ed smirks.

I gape. "I'm not 'your' anything."

Edmund clears his throat. "Excuse me, but we ROYALS use formalities for people we find boring, annoying, or we simple do not enjoy their presence."

I nod in understanding. "Well, then may I excuse myself for some training, your MAJESTY?"

He bows. "Of course, milady." Yes. This is going to be easy. My blood boils at the mere thought of him and I LOVE IT.

Stalking over to Lucy at the archery targets, she giggles.

"Ed fancies you."

Taking a bow and arrow, I squint at the red center of the target.

"He loathes me."

Lucy smiles. "If he truly disliked your, he wouldn't bother talking to you for he doesn't find an equal. Edmund is quite intellectual."

I snort, still staring at the red dot. "That's hard to believe."

She continues, ignoring my commentary. "The fact he retorts everything you say and how he lets you get under his skin proves my point that he finds and equal in you."

Shooting at the target, my arrow lands on the outer yellow ring.

"Doesn't mean he likes me."

Lucy inspects my hand and arm positions on the bow and arrow. "I know my brother. He likes you, whether he knows it or not. Maybe not now but he will know he fancies you sooner or later. The true test is if he loathes the idea or is confused by it."

Naomi and Susan join us and take up targets on either side of me. Susan shoots with perfect accuracy while Naomi's arrow lands a few feet from her.

Setting her hand on my shoulder, Lucy takes my hand.

"Loosen up. You're too tense. You doubt your motives. If you see the arrow reaching the target, then it will." Patting me on the shoulder for good measure, Lucy takes a bow and arrow and shoots at the farthest target. Her arrow reaches the center.

* * *

Lucy skips down the hall looking for a familiar face. Now where was he?

Bumping into someone, she trips and barely touches the ground with her face when she feels an arm tighten around her waist. Pulling her up, the man grins at her.

"Lucy. What have I told you about skipping in the halls?"

The queen rolls her eyes. "To never do it because it is un-lady like, dangerous, and it could cause several officials staying – the Calormenes – to ask questions."

Mr. Tumnus nods and pats her head. "Good girl. And may I ask where you were quite joyfully skipping off to on such a fine day?"

Lucy sways from side to side. "I was actually looking for you."

The faun raises his eyebrows. "Oh?"

"Susan wanted to know if you would play some lullabies on your flute for the Summer Festival. It is such short notice, but she knew you wouldn't mind."

Mr. Tumnus laughs. "Why, your Majesty, of course I wouldn't mind. I would do anything for my two queens of Narnia. You know I wouldn't bear a grudge!"

Lucy giggles. "Thank you, Mr. Tumnus. Susan is going to be delighted when she hears. You know her. Always worrying about manners and whether it's too late or too soon and being judged. I could care less!"

The faun wags a finger at her playfully. "Now, Queen Lucy, you know you mustn't criticize your sister. She puts so much hard work into everything and is merely looking after you."

She sighs. "I know. Sometimes, I feel like Peter is the only one who understands. He was the one who immediately believed in Aslan because I did. Ed and Su wanted him to prove himself to them first."

Tumnus sighs. "Yet they love Aslan all the same. Everyone is different. You have your faults as do Peter, Edmund, and Susan. Unlike you and Peter, King Edmund and Queen Susan know not to fall into battle and how to use logic and the mind to not bear ill will. They are wise beyond their years, yet you and your eldest brother have faith for the entire family. Now, let's not grumble and moan about such things. You love them, and they love you."

Lucy grins at her bearded friend. "You're right. Would you like to help me find Susan to tell her the good news?"

He offers her his arm to a smile. "I would be delighted to."

Hopping down the hall, Lucy beams. Yet for some reason, glancing over at the faun, she couldn't help but feel… weird. As if there was something more than the fatherly love she felt for Tumnus.

Putting those thoughts and contemplations at the back of her head, the young queen grins to her friend's laugh and smiles to the music of the present.

* * *

**AUTHER'S NOTE: **I'm baaaaaaack! Hope ya'll still begging for some more Summer of Miracles because here it is! I know I said I'd be gone for the entire summer, BUT I just couldn't hold it in any longer and I HAD to type up this chapter. The chapters will be coming slower, BUT do not worry, this is GOOD news. It allows for me to have more extra time to write the story so that YOU love it EVEN MORE! And each time the new chapter arrives in a golden, stamped package from the fabulous moi you're going to gobble it up begging for more! Haha yea I'm hyper but its because I'm back, writing and hearing from you guys as always.

Remember, Peter did leave to help sort out Calormene stuff so he won't be around for a few chapters BUT in his absence a lot of juicy stuff is going to be brewing. But I won't tell you because its a secret. That is, until I write it and post it to the world!

Today, while I was finishing up this chapter, I was wondering what the two main OCs look like. So, Google did some magic and I feel like these two beautiful ladies are them but in real world, not SOM (Summer of Miracles) world.

**Ariel Lindon**: _**Leighton Meester**_

**Naomi Winters**: _**Michelle Trachtenberg **_

So, that's that. Hope you loved this chapter and I will be (hopefully) posting soon. In the mean time, REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!

By the way, if you want me to read YOUR fanfictions, I will totally do so. I'm looking for some new Narnia material to read and I would be so happy to read my reviewers' stories. :)


	6. Chapter 5: Family and Visitors

Peter stares at his reflection in the mirror. His eyes seemed vacant, his cheeks sucked in. The face that looked back at him was grey and blank, not sure of anything. Peter was used to having meetings with other international nobles to discuss his sister, yet the few minutes before meeting them he always had that dreaded feeling in the pit of his stomach as if one wrong move, one wrong word, will kill him.

After arriving at Calormen yesterday, a parade welcomed him, elephants stomping in the streets with bells jangling on their round bellies and the sun catching the sparkles woven into their blankets. Dancers moved their hips in all directions as monkeys wove their way in and out of the crowd, laughing and chattering in their own language. All the while the Tisroc and his many sons and daughters sat solemnly in their litters, staring straight ahead at the Narnian ship, carrying only 15 crewmen and the king. Peter was surprised at the efforts. The few visits the Narnians ever took to Taashban included nothing more than the Grand Vizier bowing before them clumsily (which was quite a sight due to his weight and extraordinary amount of jewelry) and a few litters to take them to the Tisroc's palace. There, a grand party would commence, and the following day, the so called "barbarians of the North" were watched with both eyes.

Immediately commencing the parade (which continued into the palace as well), Peter was sent to his large suite where two slaves prepared him for the evening. The party was nothing spectacular and the beautiful Taarkhenas throwing themselves at him did not faze the young king. No, he came here for one purpose and one purpose only.

That is why Peter was standing before his mirror the next day scrutinizing his appearance. Usually, he would not take notice of his wardrobe but when in Calormen one felt like he was under a microscope. Therefore, Peter took great care in making sure he looked quite the confident, powerful king. Which he would have looked powerfully if it was not for the many thoughts and fears whizzing inside his head causing his appearance to look disheveled and afraid.

Shaking his head to get rid of any and all thoughts, he straightened. Yes, if Taarkhan Fakhir would not notice the lost, wandering look in his eyes (which he probably wouldn't, due to his ignorance from what Peter managed to see last night) then he would be quite impressed and possibly taken aback by the power and confidence the Narnian owned.

Stepping calmly down the stairs, he could hear the clinking of wine glasses and the clattering of a servant placing lunch out on the large balcony. Exquisite and exotic smells wafted through the air and rose up to him, making his stomach grumble.

"Your Majesty! Thank you for being able to meet with me!" Fakhir says with a smile. He bows Calormene style, with him bending onto one foot and extending his arms out above him, bending and meeting in the middle, forming a type of diamond. His head is bent down with the feather ontop of his thick, silk turban rustling on the floor.

"It is a pleasure to be with you, Taarkhan Fakhir! I hope I have not caused you to wait long," Peter manages to say with a kind smile.

The Taarkhan smiles devilishly. "No, your majesty. The slaves kept me company well enough." The two turn to the two, small girls in the corner and Peter shudders at the sight of them holding an empty platter watching Fakhir with eyes you would see when a rabbit has caught sight of a wolf.

Turning the conversation away from the two slaves, Peter gasps at the sight of the food. "The servants have really gone out of their way for this meal. I find it is too large and too beautiful for a meeting between friends!" He bites his lip at the last word. Calm, Peter. You're doing this for Susan.

"Like the ancient proverb: Everything seems more lovely when with the company of friends." Fakhir grins.

Peter smiles slightly at the words. "Well, it certainly fits for this situation. Shall we dig in, Fakhir?"

The Taarkhan immediately grabs at a small, plump bird with his hands. Biting into it, Peter sees a red sauce leak out onto Fakhir's mouth and shirt, but he barely notices. Instead, he plucks a grape from a bowl and pops it into his mouth.

Downing his goblet of wine, he croaks out, "What did you need to see me for, your Majesty?"

Peter clears his throat after shaking himself awake from the horrid sight of seeing the Taarkhan eat. He must have a FAST metabolism, he thinks to himself, all the while looking at the Calormene's spaghetti like frame.

"I have heard you wish to marry my sister, Queen Susan the Gentle."

Fakhir grins, showing chunks of meat stuck between his yellow teeth.

"Your Majesty, since the moment your beautiful sister came of age, I have only dreamt of her, wanted her, thought of her. I knew that once she came to the age of 20, she would have matured enough to realize her and I would be the most besotted couple in all of Calormen and Narnia. Our beautiful children would be the heirs to the Narnian throne and bring peace to all our countries." He spread his arms wide, signifying the grand importance of this marriage.

Peter nodded, already aware of this. He knew how important this wedding would be, but Narnia had never trusted Calormen, and he was sure the alliance was merely a reason for Calormen to be one step closer to ruling Narnia. Not only that, but he had a duty to his sister. Someone once said to him – he couldn't remember who – that he had to keep his siblings safe. This was such a time.

Fakhir continued after taking another sip of his wine. "I see no reason for you to complain. Every lord, duke, prince, king, and Taarkhan in every country know of the kings' disapproval of sending their sisters away to another man. But how can you refuse if this yet another reason to bring our two lands closer, guaranteeing safety for years to come?"

Peter looked down at his empty plate. "I see perfectly clear what this marriage alliance can do. I have thought this through every single time someone has come up to me to ask for the hand of Susan or Lucy. But I have promised my country, my family, and my self that I can not put them in danger. No matter how much it pains me to say so, but Calormen and Narnia are two very delicate countries who at one upset can destroy one another. And there is not only peace to talk about here. There is the cause of war, if Archenland, Telmar, or the Lone Islands have cause to wage it on our lands. Then, what about the way we move Susan and yourself back and forth. She cannot live in Taashban for she has a country to rule, yet you cannot live in Narnia for you yourself have matters to deal with in Calormen. And since the future children would be heirs to the Narnian throne, then that would mean they would have to stay with their mother learning all they can about diplomacy."

Fakhir freezes and his eyes start to boil. How DARE this young, pathetic KING force his sister to not marry him? Fakhir is the wealthiest and most powerful Taarkhan in Calormen, besides Rabadash. And "High King" Peter disapproves of him?

"I see you are not happy with this marriage alliance, your Majesty. Do not you think that Queen Susan should have a say in this matter?" he says with a cool, calm tone.

Peter replies with the same tone of voice. "Queen Susan has told me the first time a man came to ask for her hand that she wants to marry for love and not for any alliances. She has enough strength and power to rule alone as well. My sister does not need a man by her side to survive."

Fakhir grits his teeth. "She is a woman! A poor, sickly WOMAN! Do you know what we do to women here? We only use them for physical pleasures! Even if we have wives back home, not a single one will EVER rebel against us. They are too weak, too self indulgent in their sparkles and silks. They are stupid, King Peter, and the sooner you realize that, the better."

Peter flares up. "I do not know what they do in your land, but in Narnia is a free, peaceful, non sexist country. Women have as much power as men, and occasionally, even more. They are treated the same, and respected."

The Taarkhan laughs. "You are just saying that because your people are AFRAID of another women ruling! Calormen has heard of the White Witch. Your land was in turmoil and fear for a century. And ever since, your women have realized that they are capable of doing the same! Your men are living in fear of them, worrying if you upset them, a century of cold will come again!"

The king glares at him. "The White Witch was half djinn half giant! Not a single person or animal or Dryad or Naiad or centaur or faun or minotaur or mermaid or satyr could EVER do that. The White Witch was evil and had magic beyond this world. Narnia knows what could happen if she is back and no one, whether they are female or male, want the same to come again."

Fakhir growls and stands. "High King Peter, if you do not LET me have your stupid sister, I will TAKE her from your clutches." Storming out of the building, Peter is left steaming.

Turning to the corner, he sees the slave whimpering and crying, all the while staring at the king.

He runs his fingers through his hair and falls back onto the couch. "Tell my crew to suit up and meet me here." In a second, the slaves were gone.

* * *

"Edmund! Put me down!" Elizabeth screams at the top of her lungs. Her tiny waist was encircled by Edmund's arms, lifting her above his head.

He smirks at the young, pretty face. "If you say so." Dropping her, his arms catch her before she slams into the ground.

Elizabeth smiles at him. "Its good to be back." She throws her arms around his neck, allowing the king to kiss her cheek.

"Its good to see you again." Edmund plants one on her cheek, but quickly steps back to plant another on her lips.

She gasps. "Edmund! You cheeky bastard!"

The Archenland officials were visiting to have a meeting with Peter, but due to his sudden disappearance, Lord Peridan had to take his place. Edmund also attended, but left early to deal with the Lone Islands taxes. Running out of the meeting room as fast as possible, he ran into (literally!) his close friend, PRACTICALLY girlfriend, Elizabeth De la Weise. She was the daughter of the famous war hero Otho de la Weise. He had come for the meeting as well, towing his only daughter along.

Tucking a strand of her wavy black locks behind her ear, she smiles slightly.

"Ed, I hope we can catch up after what happened last time." Elizabeth had visited Narnia four years ago, but Edmund visited Anvard a couple times each year. Last time he visited he was 16, and lusted after the beautiful Isabel de la Weise, Elizabeth's cousin, only to get into a brutal argument with Lizzie ending with a passionate kiss and a whispered goodbye.

Ed chuckles, remembering that time. "If it makes you feel any better, I heard Isabel got married to Claude Van Butler."

Elizabeth laughs. "Oh I know. I was there. If it makes YOU feel any better, Claude looks like a pumpkin."

The king sighs and wraps his arms around her waist. "Beth, you know I have no feelings for her. It was just a crush. Her cousin is prettier and smarter anyway."

She cocks her head to the side. "Joyce?"

Ed leans closer to her so their noses were touching. "Actually, I think her name is… Elizabeth."

Her cheeks turn red, and as she turns away, Edmund stops her by pressing his lips against hers.

He hears her gasp inwardly, and he smirks, pressing his mouth harder against hers. She moves with him, moving her hands off of his shoulders, around his neck, and then clutching his dark hair. His own hands stay put on his waist, bringing her closer to him each and every second….

"Ahem," someone clears their throat.

Elizabeth stops him, and turns behind her to see…. Ariel, a smirk playing on her lips.

Edmund groans. Great. Now, not only will my chances with Elizabeth be ruined but Ariel will make fun of him for it for years to come. That is if she doesn't die or go home in the process.

"You might not want to make out in such a public place. I just heard people in the meeting room saying 'That's all for today.'" She smiles gently at Lizzie, taking Edmund by surprise. He expected Ariel to tear Beth apart or even make her feel insignificant, but having her be KIND to his girlfriend? That's more dangerous than a self observed, jealous, selfish Ariel.

She turns her head to him, and smirks at his red face. Never mind.

Turning back to Elizabeth, Ariel grins. "Hi! I'm Ariel. I don't think Edmund told you but me and my friend got lost in the forest and were taken in as guests to Cair Paravel."

He's about to open his mouth to correct her, then realizes she's… lying. For his benefit. Of course, how can you explain magically appearing in the ocean and COINCIDENTALLY be saved by Peter and Susan? Elizabeth would never believe him.

Lizzie smiles shyly at the girl. "Hello. I'm Lady Elizabeth of Archenland. You must be from Telmar. What's your title?"

Ariel's eyes jump back and forth, from Elizabeth to Edmund. Umm, what's my title, she thinks.

"I'm Lady Ariel of Telmar. My friend is Lady Naomi of Telmar. But we ran away from home due to…. Boy complications."

The Archenlander nods in understanding. "I see. My parents were forcing me into a marriage to some self absorbed duke, but ever since my mum died, my father slipped away."

Ariel frowned. "Oh. I'm so sad for you. I don't know where I'd be without my mom. She taught me everything I know. Other than archery. My dad had me take classes in the community center before he died three years ago." Her throat caught at the mention of her dad. It's not like he died when she was just a baby. She knew him for her entire childhood up until fifteen. Not only that, but her mother said Ariel looked like the split image of her father.

Edmund froze. She lost a parent? He noticed the way her eyes drooped when her mouth formed the word "dad" and he thought, when was the last time she used it? Is it as foreign to her now as the word "mum" is to Elizabeth?

Lizzie sighed. "That must be terrible. My mother passed three years ago as well, but I was never as close to her as I was with my other relatives. She was always inside due to her illness."

Ariel nodded, still in a daze. "Yea, I know. My dad was in the hospital for the last two years of his life. He had leukemia."

Beth cocked her head. "Hm. I've never heard of it."

Edmund stepped in, helping Ariel regain her composure. "Yes, it's only common where she's from."

Elizabeth nodded. "It must be the climate."

An awkward silence passed between the three of them, where Ariel was staring at the floor below her, fighting back tears. Edmund had the strangest want to comfort her, but looking over at Elizabeth, who was biting her lip and looking at the ceiling from boredom, he decided it would be unwise to.

"Well, Elizabeth and I have some business to attend to in the library. She promised to help me with my Lone Islands taxes and we really must be going," Edmund says, breaking the silence. He tugs on Elizabeth's arm, bowing halfheartedly to Ariel.

"I hope to talk to you at dinner again, milady," he quickly says to her before turning the corner.

Ariel sighs. She likes Elizabeth well enough, but being forced to spend dinner with her and hear her relentless, pointless questions as she stares adoringly at Edmund made the girl sick. Edmund deserved more than her empty, balloon head. She knew she was smart, and clearly very pretty, but Ariel believed she put on an act, like so many of the girls from Independence High School. From what she remembered from the Narnia series, Elizabeth reminded her of Lasaraleen, the Calormene Taarkheena who went on about subjects that bored those around her. Edmund needed more than that. Like Lucy said, an equal.

Ariel didn't understand these thoughts, though. She shouldn't even care about Edmund, especially who he was dating. So what if he wanted Elizabeth. It was his choice, not hers. And the fact that MAYBE she was jealous was probably only due to nerves of having the dream, the mention of her father, and having too much sun this morning at practice. Ariel was not a jealous person. Like she said two years ago, when Clyde had asked her to homecoming, " I didn't care. Boys were nothing to me. They didn't seem to care to make an effort. I knew when I found someone I would know." Her mother had always said to prepare for a chase, and jealousy was never part of it.

Throwing back her shoulders, she smiles at the imaginary audience. Ariel had to put on a brave face and show the world what she was made of.

Checking her reflection in the mirror like tile floors, Ariel grins. Perfect.

* * *

**AUTHER'S NOTE: **Yes, I know I said there'd be no Peter for a while, but I just had to show the diplomatic part of this story. I had wanted to kinda recreate Rabadash (in the fact that Farkhin is going to wage war on Narnia) but don't worry. There will not be too many similarities. Like no donkey or Aslan coming to the rescue.

A little fun fact for all you readers out there: Ariel means "lion of god" in Hebrew and Naomi means "pleasant" in Hebrew. I didn't choose the two names for their meanings; it was purely coincidental which I thought was pretty cool!

Yes, there's a love triangle between Elizabeth, Ariel, and Edmund but it won't be anything too drastic like the Twilight books. I mean really! Who cares if one is a werewolf and the other is a vampire!

I'm thinking up alot of things for our little Elizabeth, and I'm going to incorporate Slavic and European myths due to my ancestry there and also I think Narnia needs some bad ass Slavic demons. So stick with me.

I know that there is NO Naomi in here for all you Naomi lovers out there but really she had no point in this chapter. Next chapter, I'll try to have some of her in it. Or maybe I'll torture you and put Elizabeth in it. You never know.

And as always... REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!


	7. Chapter 6: Emotions and Battles

The ship is lit with dozens of lanterns, the crew rowdily singing some old Narnian drinking song. The captain guffaws to some joke, suddenly being pulled onto the dance floor by the old female cook, Ruth. No one noticed the young, yet old king on the side drinking himself into oblivion.

His beloved home is about to be taken over by the Calormen government and there was nothing he could do to stop it. His family is going to die a bloody death or taken advantage of by the sleazy Taarkhans and Taarkheenas. Little Lucy, a small smile on her lips, while her life bleeds out of her. Beautiful Susan's eyes shut as if in sleep when really about to be placed into an exquisite, velvet lined coffin. Edmund smirking at his killer for eternity, a bloody sword in his hand. How could he forget all the other deaths? The Dryads, the Naiads, the dwarves, the fauns, the satyrs, the wolves, the beavers, the minotaurs, the squirrels, the mice, the horses, the nobles visiting for meetings. All of their blood on his hands. And the two mysterious girls from a world not unlike his own dying in mere days after their arrival. They didn't even believe in Narnia, and they're going to be murdered. Will they go back to wherever they came from, or will life stay still back home? This isn't how he pictured Narnia's death. Sad, slow, stupid. Narnia is going to collapse all because of his mistake. Why did he go? Oh yea, because Naomi told him to. No, he can't blame her. It's not her fault. It's his. His for listening to her, his for yelling at the Taarkhan, his for not giving him that ship he was planning to surprise him with. Naomi was not at blame.

He remembers the girl coming up to his bedroom with a mug of milk. Her beautiful, black hair hung in waves down her back. The blue eyes stared at him with kindness, amusement, and hope. Hope for the future that she would see the truth behind everything. Hope that she would find trust in someone. Hope that all this crap she had to be put up with would go away. Hope that she would find a silver lining. And for some incredibly strange reason, he wanted to hold that girl in his arms. Tell her that it would all go away. Tell her she was beautiful, perfect, and that whoever hurts her should go to hell. He wanted to wipe away her tears and kiss her forehead, her nose, her cheeks, her neck, her lips. Her full, pink lips...

Taking a gulp of his wine, the young king winces. He couldn't think these things. It wasn't right. He didn't even KNOW her. All of the thoughts running through his head is just frustration for not being around a woman for so long. Plus, he had other more important matters to focus on.

Downing his goblet, Peter sets it on the ground and takes a sweeping glance of the scene. This was the last time he would hear laughter, see a smile, and feel alcohol burn his throat. Shaking his head, he bids the captain goodnight, goes to his room, and cries himself to sleep.

* * *

"Ed! Stop it!"

"Now, why would I do that?"

"Because we are in the middle of dinner and your guests are watching." Elizabeth pulls away from her boyfriend's grasp and smiles shyly at those staring at the couple.

Ed laughs. "I don't give a damn what those lords think. They're all old and haven't been in a girl for - " but Susan quickly cuts him off.

"Edmund William Pevensie! Not at the table!" Her face bore a sour expression and she looked prepared to throw her drink at her younger brother.

"Oh, shut it Mum." Looking back at Elizabeth, he leans in to whisper something, turning her skin tomato red.

The lady smiles back at him. "If I knew that is what you wanted after two years, maybe I should have stayed away longer."

"I can't wait any more. Please, can we leave these boring twats?" Edmund grumbles and wraps his arm around her waist.

Lizzie fake gasps. "You just insulted my father, silly king!"

I grind my teeth. How I despise those lovey dovey couples who can't seem to keep their hands off of eachother. Next to me, Naomi and Lucy look as if they are about to barf.

"You know, I would have thought you had better taste in boys, Lady Elizabeth," I hear myself saying. The Pevensies and Elizabeth stare at me in shock.

Lizzie recovers first. "I thought I did too. Maybe I should just leave this child before he falls in too deep." She grins at Edmund's startled expression.

He pulls her close. "Then I might just have to hold you hostage." A high pitched giggle floats over from Elizabeth's mouth.

Lucy wipes her mouth with a napkin. "May I please excuse myself?"

I get up as well. "Me too."

Naomi follows, hot on my heels. Running down corridors and hallways, I finally reach my room. I only lose control when I reach my bed.

"Shit! Shit shit shit shit shit!" I yell at the top of my lungs.

A breathless Naomi shows up, her features distorted in a laugh. "You should be pissed more often. It suits you."

I chuck one of many pillows at her. "Shut the fuck up, Naomi."

Plopping down onto the carpeted floors, she sets her hands onto her lap. "Why are you so hung over him anyway." She didn't have to say who 'him' was.

My face turns red with fury. "I am not hung over ANYBODY. I just hate that they are flaunting themselves, practically having sex, right infront of everybody. How. Rude."

Naomi snorts. "Please. Like you didn't do the same with Clyde."

"That was different! I loved him!"

"He does too!"

I spread my arms out infront of me. "No he doesn't! He could care less about her. He's just using sweet, innocent Elizabeth to get her into bed."

Naomi bites her lip. "Even if that is true, why do you care?"

I shake my head in exasperation. "Naomi, I already told you. They're making out infront of the entire Archenland noble family. From what we've seen and heard I doubt Narnian society is like 2012. Holding hands is disgusting here! And a peck on the cheek? They considert that porn!"

She nods her head, her wild curls falling infront of her face. "I understand. I felt the same exact way when Josh got together with Ashley. Could you say rated R?"

"I don't like Edmund though! And I definitely do not stalk his Facebook every second of every minute of every day!"

She shrugs. "Okay. Whatever you say. But I won't say I told you so when next month we're going to be sitting in the same exact posititions with you freaking out about him making out with you the day before."

"What if we're gone by then? And don't you not believe in all this?"

Naomi grins. "True. But since this is a dream, I get to say what happens. And I say, by next month, you two will be infatuated."

I roll my eyes. "Whatever. By the way, how are things going with you and the HIGH KING of Narnia?"

She shrugs. "Why would anything be happening? I barely know him."

I snort, and turn around, so that I'm laying on my belly. "Ok. Don't tell me for the past five days ever since he left you haven't been staring into space, daydreaming about the flirtatious conversation between you and Mr. Macho."

Naomi sucks in her breath. "How did you know about that?"

"I have my sources, " I say, an evil smirk dancing on my lips.

My best friend growls and pounces onto my bed, cracking up the entire time.

* * *

"Queen Lucy! Queen Susan!" a squirrel squeaks from a shelf next to a vase of narcissus'.

Their conversation was cut short and the two sisters hurry towards the critter, equal looks of worry on their faces.

"A griffon just arrived mere minutes ago. He said that he must speak with the king and queens urgently!"

Susan goes into full battle mode. "Where is the griffon?"

"At the gates. You must hurry, your majesties!"

The two run off to find Edmund to crash into their brother near the library. His hair is tousled, his shirt unbuttoned, and his feet only covered by socks. His face is also one of equal distress.

"Ed! A griffin has an urgent message for us!" Lucy says, her eyes gazing over his disheveled appearance.

"Yes I heard. Tumnus told me."

Susan grabs both of their wrists and pulls them after her. "No time for chit chat. We must hurry."

Arriving at the gates, a large, chocolate brown griffon stands on his claws, several attendants around him, prying him for answers. They stop at the sight of the nobility.

Edmund goes straight for the truth. "What is the problem?"

The griffon, who's name is Hawk-eye, ruffles his feathers. "My king, King Peter the Magnificent sent me to tell you that his meeting with the Taarkhan Fakhir didn't quite go as planned. You must be prepared for an army to be at Cair Paravel any mintue now."

Susan cocks her head. "What do you mean? Peter left me a note saying he had urgent business to deal with in Telmar."

Edmund grinds his teeth. "He lied, the selfish bastard. Thinking he's oh-so-powerful and could save Susan from yet another suitor. Protecting the 'younger' ones. We're not little kids anymore."

Lucy gently touches her brother's arm. "Ed, this is not a time to yell at Pete. Please. We need to get the soldiers ready and suited for armour and any able Narnians to come and fight."

Susan smiles gingerly. "Seeing as it is Calormen, I doubt the fight will last long."

Ed shakes his head, disagreeing with his sister. "You remember what happened with Rabadash. The Calormenes have learned. They are now ready, prepared for such situations. If anything, their armies are probably ten times larger than before."

Hawk-eye clucks at the king. "I don't think there is much time to talk over strategics. You should get an army together before it is too late." Bowing his head, he ruffles his feathers one last time, and takes off into the night, just a black dot on the horizon.

Susan straightens her skirt and looks over at her siblings. "Brother, sister. You heard the griffon. We need to be prepared and quickly. Ed you take the west. Lu, you take the East. I'll take the south, if their armies aren't already there. We start tonight." Frowning, she scurries off in the direction of the stables.

Elizabeth watches the scene play out from her bedroom. Her lips curve up into a smile and she tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. Blowing little Edmund a kiss, she laughs. She laughs until the the first rays of sunlight break out on the horizon.

* * *

The next day, griffons soared across the sky like grey clouds full with rain. Ariel and Naomi weren't waken up and didn't hear the caws of battle starting, far out near the Western Wood. Not a single soul moved in the palace, all fighting for their lives or hidden away, praying for Aslan. Nobody saw a large golden ship pull into dock, and nobody witnessed the arrival of High King Peter. His mouth was pulled down into a frown and he called for a horse and Rhindon. His crew all saddled stallions, racing after the king, coming to the rescue.

Nobody was near the ocean or the lakes and nobody noticed the sudden violent roar of the waves. They only lasted for a second. Just a second. A lion's roar quickly stopped them before they could swallow the beach.

"For Narnia!" Edmund roars, ontop of his horse. The army around him cheer and race forward, the cawing of griffons barely audible through the noise. The Calormenes smugly sat abroad their stallions, scimitars at their sides, Fakhir smirking at the disheveled sight of the group. While they were trained, dressed, and ready for the kill, the Narnians - although many - appeared as if they just rolled out of bed and decided to go be in the battle. The only thing really terrifying about them was the number and the determined, deadly looks the creatures sent the Calormene soldiers.

The two sides clash, their swords waving in the air, stabbing animals and humans quickly. Edmund us his sword through some Taarkhan, quickly stabbing his comrade staring surprised at the sight of his friend laying dead on the forest ground.

Susan and Lucy stand atop a cliff watching the sight, planning new strategics. The archers nervously shuffle to the side, now and then glancing over at the queens waiting for the command.

"Not yet," mumbles Susan.

Ed jumps off his horse and kills another Calormene, turning around to kill another. Many of the soldiers had long ago abandoned their animals to sneak up behind Narnians and take them by surprise. To Edmund's right, he sees a Taarkhan creeping up behind Tumnus. Biting his lip, he runs through the crowd, killing along the way, and stabs the Taarkhan in the neck. The Calormene's head pops up with a gasp and he crumples onto the dirt.

From the cliff, Susan could see that the ground is littered with dead bodies, mostly Calormene but a surprisingly large amount of Narnians. Her stomach flutters and she taps her foot agains a rock. Not yet.

Hours seem to pass, Edmund just killing any Calormene in sight. Left, Right, Center. Somersault, stab, turn, kill, and repeat. It was like a dance, a deadly one at that. And yet the more men the king killed, the more seemed to dance before his eyes.

He was battling some Calormene hero, finding his weak spot, only for the soldier to cleverly cover it. And then, a figure abroad a horse races in, chopping the hero's head off. Stabbing one after another, the knight finally takes off his helmet to reveal sparkling blue eyes.

"Having trouble, eh there Ed?"

"Archers! Ready!" Susan yells from the cliff. The many dwarves and fauns raise their bows up into the air, the arrow tense and about to be let loose.

"Fire!" A storm of arrows fall onto the soldiers all around them. Each one finds a victim.

Ed glares at his brother. "You BASTARD! You fucking left us to save Susan! Without warning! We're not ten anymore! We can fight for ourselves! We don't need your help anymore! Yet you always have to be the knight in shining armour! The one that the world seems to worship. The one that will be written down in history books for the rest of eternity as 'the Magnificent'. Well, you know what? I want to be fucking magnificent! I want to be the hero, the saviour, the one who saves Narnia! I was about to until YOU showed up!"

Peter grins and crushes his brother in a hug. "Ed, you have no idea how much I would rather have had you save Susan. I hate myself. Why did I have to go? You would have been of much better use! This is all my fault that you're having this battle. If you went instead of me, Calormen and Narnia would have a truce and Susan would not be married to Fakhir."

Edmund raises an eyebrow. "What has happened to the all powerful High King Peter? Because I like that one more than you. He would have cursed back at me, and we would get into a brawl, which I would win, of course."

The elder king guffaws. "Okay maybe I'm just a tad drunk but its only because I felt like shit yesterday. And the brawl? I'll have that scheduled for after dinner." The brotherly banter is quickly interrupted by Fakhir fuming at Peter.

"Oh look who we have here. Little Peter coming to the rescue. But guess what? Your little sister is going to be all mine tonight. That little bitch won't know wha-" and his words are cut off by an arrow sticking into his throat. Susan smiles triumphantly at his startled expression.

"Guess I do know what was coming." Her arms envelope Peter in a hug and she nestles her head into his shoulder like she did so many years ago.

"Thank you Peter. You save my life." She sniffs and smiles into his chest.

Lucy sighs. "Here come the water works."

"Fakhir could have raped me. Or worse. KILLED me. God, those Calormenes are bastards." She sobs into her older brother's chest.

Edmund shakes his head. "See? This is what I was talking about. He's the hero, and I'm just the brother that has to break the news to all the ladies that no, High King Peter will not want to spend another night with them."

Lucy giggles. "Can we please go back to Cair Paravel? I'm starving!" At her words, they hear a distant lion's roar. The battle has ended.

Peter wraps his arm around his sisters. "I think that's a splendid idea."

* * *

Turning the corner, Naomi smiles at the sight of the golden door. Finally, he was back.

Knocking, she hears a low voice say, "Come in."

Entering the suite, she sees the room empty. Naomi seats herself down on the bed, waiting for him to appear.

"Naomi?"

"Peter!" Her face breaks into a smile, but stops when she notices his appearance. His blonde hair falls perfectly into his eyes which sparkle with happiness. His bare chest glistens with water droplets, and a white towel covers his lower half. His biceps seem bigger than usual crossed over his six pack. She gulps.

Getting up quickly, Naomi manages to stutter out, "Maybe I should come back later." Tripping over a foot stool, she lands on the floor looking up at the king's laughing ocean blue eyes. Almost the color of a teal crayon. She laughs at the memory.

"I-I'm sorry." Lifting herself up, she freezes at the feel of Peter's hand on hers.

"You don't have to go. I was actually about to go talk to you. After I change."

Naomi nods and sits gingerly on the bed again. Biting her lip, she tucks her hair behind one ear, and blushes red. Oh pull yourself together, she thinks.

"I, um, wanted to thank you for the mug of milk that night before I left. It really calmed me down."

Naomi smirks. "That's what you wanted to tell me?"

Peter's words seem to get lost in his throat. All he could focus on is her soft, smooth cheek right there, naked and bare. As if she was asking him to lean down and kiss her. Her blue eyes smile up at him with amusement, taunting him, playing with his emotions. He feels his insides twist and his heart thump harder. Her long, scarlet red dress drops in a V-neck exposing her collar bone, making her smooth, fit curves all the more noticeable. She looks up at him innocently, her long, thick lashes resting on her eyelids gently everytime she blinked.

Peter shakes his head, waking himself up. "Um, nothing. Its not important."

Her confident shoulders drop in letdown. "Oh. I see." She stands up and smiles at me sadly.

"Goodbye Peter. I have to go."

His hand closes around her wrist. "Please. Don't leave. I just.. Don't know what to say."

She comes closer, too close. Naomi purse her lips. What should she say? It had to be important. She could feel the akwardness and the tension between them.

"Come to me when you do." Staying for a second too long, she notices his eyes flit from her eyes to her lips. Taking a step back, she curtsies.

"I will see you at dinner, your majesty."

Peter gulps, his heart dropping. He bows and takes a step closer. Taking her hand, he presses his lips on the fingers, all the while staring at her eyes.

The minute he lets go, her hand shoots up and she starts to knead it with her other hand. Nerves.

"Good-good bye Peter." Curtseying again, Naomi takes one last fleeting glance at Peter and his six pack before running out of the room.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **I know I said I would keep Peter out for a while, but I just couldn't. He had to get home, and I just had to have Edmund yell at him. And the reunion with Naomi had been playing in my head for a while now so... I couldn't keep him away forever!

I'm so sorry for being away for SUCH a long time. I was having writer's block but today I forced myself to sit down and write a chapter, so I did. And I think it came out pretty well.

I know there hasn't been TOO much Ariel, but with Peter returning and the short battle (sorry all you war loving fans!) I felt as if there had to be some Pevensie family time.

I bet all of you are wondering about Elizabeth. One second she's the innocent girlfriend of Edmund, and the next she's cracking up about Edmund's distress? And what is up with that whole ocean getting all violent for a second? I'm keeping my lips shut.

All you Naomi and Peter shippers, yes there's frustration. And tension. I REALLY wanted them to just burst and proclaim their love for one another and then start kissing like there's no tomorrow, BUT I remembered that would NOT be realistic. I mean really? In what kind of situation does someone fall in love with a stranger after five days and then start kissing. Yes, there's tension and built up emotions but what can I say? They're teenagers. Do not worry. It will be a LONG time until they do end up in each other's arms. That is IF they end up in each other's arms.

And then there were two. Ariel and Edmund. Edmund and Ariel. Yep, there was NO action whatsoever with them today. Don't worry next chapter will have plenty of them together, apart, in private, and in public.

Yes, I know this was a filler chapter. And yes I know I didn't focus on the battle, but that battle wasn't really important in the plot of the story. It is just a time when Peter can step out for a couple of chapters, Elizabeth can step in, and Ariel gets all pissy and annoyed. I needed you to get to know lil Beth. And if Peter was there, then I'd spend ALL my time talking about Naomi and Peter, Peter and Naomi. Although, I'd be perfectly fine with that.

I just wanted to let you readers know, I DO get updates when some favorites this story, and yet only two people actually review. So how about I get some more reviews this time? Some of are you silent readers, but imagine how much joy I'm going to get when I receive them and how much joy YOU will get when I take some of your advice!

Remember the two R's: Read and Review!

Love,

Rita


	8. Chapter 7: Toast and Stories

I shovel the toast in my mouth. Oh, heaven. Narnia had plenty of toast, but it was so delicious.

The four nobles, plus Elizabeth and Naomi, gape at me, their forks frozen in midair.

"Does she always eat like this, Lady Naomi?" Elizabeth asks, a fearful look in her eyes.

Naomi shakes her head. "Usually she's worried that some hot guy will see her making a fool of herself."

Edmund smirks. "And you're giving up this moral now because..."

I shrug. "You two aren't hot," I say through bites of toast.

Peter gasps. "That hurts my man pride."

Naomi snorts. "As if you had any to begin with." The nobles laugh, Elizabeth gaping at the unladylike words spilling out of our mouths.

"Peter! Aren't you going to banish her? She just insulted you!" Lizzie says, looking over at the High King.

He shrugs. "I don't care. She's new here, and... Where she's from people don't act like we do."

Her eyes widen. "How do they survive?" Our mouths drop open, then fall over in laughter.

"What? What did I say?"

"Liz, I thought I disliked you, but I think we can be good friends," I manage to say through fits of giggles. Milk snorts out of my nose, forcing us to laugh even more.

Elizabeth stares shocked at me, and glares. "I must be going. I have some... business to attend to." Curtseying to Edmund, she picks up her skirt and leaves.

"What was that all about?" I ask.

Lucy frowns. "I don't know. She seems to be getting more and more moody as the week passes."

Naomi grins. "Maybe she's scared me and Naomi will outshoot her in archery." Over the past two weeks, our archery skills increased, and now, we were almost as good as Lucy. Almost.

Peter chugs down his milk. "Maybe she's on her girl time," he says into his cup.

Susan slaps his arm. "Peter! How dare you say that?"

He grins. "Or maybe she didn't get enough from Edmund last night." This time, both Edmund and Susan smack him. Lucy tries to hold back her laughter by stuffing her cheeks with strawberries.

"Oh calm down Su. You know I didn't mean it."

Seeing them relax, Peter adds, "But you never know..."

Edmund rolls his eyes and wipes his mouth with the cream napkin on his lap. "I think I may need to talk to Elizabeth. I'm the only she'll listen to."

"She'll do more than listen-," but Peter is interrupted by Susan's, "Peter!"

Naomi and I barely hear through our laughter.

Watching Ed's back grow smaller and smaller, I turn my attention back to the bickering siblings.

"How dare you say that to Edmund? He is your brother!" Susan screams.

"He doesn't respect the girls I bring down to breakfast sore from yesterday!" Peter retorts. Naomi's face turns a pale shade of green.

Pushing her plate to the side, the universal sign that you have finished eating, she stands.

"I'm full. I think I'm going to go... read a book."

Peter stands as well. "I'll come with you."

Turning even greener, Naomi doesn't look him in the eye. "No. Please... don't." Running out of the hall, she leaves me.

"What'd I say?" Peter wonder aloud.

I glare at him. "Oh shut it." Running after her, I turn a few corridors to see her clutching her knees on the ground.

A few tears streak down her face, but no whimpers or sounds emanate from her lips.

Crouching down, I squeeze her. "Naomi. I'm sorry. I know. I know."

"How... how could he just say that?" she croaks out.

Wiping away her tears, she sniffs into my dress. "And I thought he liked me. Clearly, I was wrong."

Stepping back, I examine her disheveled appearance and the meaning behind her words. "Wait? Do you like him?"

Naomi sniffs again. "No. Yes. Maybe. I don't know. It's just yesterday, he wanted to tell me something. And he kissed my hand. And it made me feel special."

Hugging her again, I kiss her head. "Oh honey. Clearly you like him if you're crying for him."

She shakes her head and wipes her eyes with the sleeve of her dress. "I never had someone like me before. I thought it would feel magical. Knowing you were wanted."

Lifting her chin, I make her look into my eyes. "Naomi, you have only known him for two weeks. Two weeks. Do you remember the Narnia stories? The minute we get back (which could be any day) we might never return. And if we do, there's no guarantee we'll see him again."

Naomi stares up at the high ceiling. "What a horrible dream. How fucked up my life must be to be so delusional. To like a KING, and think he likes old' lil Naomi Winters. To live in a castle where goats and small humans walk around with faeries. And not only that, but to believe you have some purpose because A LION sent you here. How fucked up my life must be."

Running my hands through my limp hair, I sigh. "We're back to this again."

She doesn't seem to hear me because she continues. "C.S. Lewis must be having a laugh wherever he is. Just looking up at a girl in a coma, due to her drowning in San Diego with her best friends. And these two friends coincidentally have the same dream in the coma they're in, about his story. Yes. What a laugh he must be having. Have his story rot in hell with him. It would make this whole thing end. "

The rest of her speech is cut off by her loud sobs. She shakes and quivers, all the while holding her knees. I squeeze her, rocking my best friend back and forth. Oh, Naomi. She always did have a gentle heart. She could care less about a guy, yet when one did happen to like her, he was all she could think about. Oh, Naomi.

Her sobbing quiets down to whimpers and then to sniffling into my shoulder. When I am certain she is calm enough to answer back to me, I take her hand in mine and help her up.

"Come with me." I start to walk down the hall, tugging her behind me.

"Where are we going?" she wonders, wiping her nose with her sleeve.

Winking back at her, I smile. "It's a surprise."

Climbing flights of stairs and turning corners, we climb higher and higher into the very depths of Cair Paravel. Finally, I stop and lift my finger to my lip to think. Is it here? Or maybe one more flight? What if we passed it?

Grinning, I start to run down the corridor and hear both my pounding heart and the click clack of Naomi's shoes. Turning around to face her, I present her the normal, typical wooden door before me.

"Before you is the most magical, most beautiful, most wonderful room in the entire castle," I start to announce. She giggles.

"Even better than the library?"

I nod. "Even better than the grandest library, the grandest hall, and the grandest garden. It is the best room in Cair Paravel. At least I assume it is."

Naomi's eyes widen and she hops up on the balls of her feet.

"Do you want to see it?" I ask.

She grins and nods like an energetic child when asked if they want an extra scoop of ice cream.

Bringing my finger to my lips, I whisper, "Shh." Turning the golden handle of the door ever so slowly, the door creaks open. A sliver of light shines on us. Opening it inch by inch, at last the door bangs against the wall opposite. I take Naomi's hand and enter the room.

Hearing her gasp beside me, I beam. I knew she would love it. In the center of the room, a grand piano stands regal and majestic, fresh, white sheets of music stacked in books in five different book cases. A harp stands off to the side next to several gleaming flutes and guitars (or what we assume are guitars). A large bay window takes up one of the walls, and crisp white curtains blew back and forth. Fresh flowers are scattered everywhere in pots and vases.

"How, how, how..."

I bite my lip. "How did I find it?"

Not waiting for her nod, I continue. "I was bored one day and decided to take a self tour of the castle. Well, one way or another I found this room. And I thought, when you're really down, I'll take you up here. Do you like it?"

"Like it?" She turns to me with a beam on her face, her eyes full to the brim with happy tears.

"I **LOVE **it." Hugging me, she takes my hand and pulls me onto the piano bench with her.

Pressing her finger onto one of the pearly white keys, a beautiful note vibrates against the walls. She giggles at the familiar sound.

Starting over again, she places her hands onto the keys and starts to play.

I smile sadly at the tune, and she grins beside me.

"You memorized it?"

Nodding, she replies, "Just sing."

I clear my throat.

_There are places I remember__  
All my life, though some have changed__  
Some forever not for better__  
Some have gone and some remain__  
All these places have their moments__  
With lovers and friends I still can recall__  
Some are dead and some are living__  
In my life I've loved them all__  
__[ Lyrics from: b/beatles/in+my+life_ ]__  
But of all these friends and lovers__  
There is no one compares with you__  
And these memories lose their meaning__  
When I think of love as something new__  
Though I know I'll never lose affection__  
For people and things that went before__  
I know I'll often stop and think about them__  
In my life I love you more_

Though I know I'll never lose affection

_For people and things that went before__  
I know I'll often stop and think about them__  
In my life I love you more_  
In my life I love you more

The piano plays in the background, soft music that complements my singing.

Finishing, she stares at the keys while I softly cry.

"How'd you know?"

Taking my hand, Naomi squeezes it. "Do you remember when we went on the road trip? To go camping for Labor Day weekend?"

I smile, remembering the memories.

She continues. "Well, this song started to play, and your dad started to sing along. I guess, I just knew. I knew it was his favorite. The way he took your mom's hand and started to laugh like crazy. Your total embarrassment and Poppy's giggles mixed with her screaming, 'Stop it Papa!' "

Taking her hands off the keys, Naomi wipes her hands on her dress. Her eyes finally meet mine. Her eyes ask a question.

"When do you think we'll go back?"

"When it's time. When we know why we came here." Smiling gently, I stand up and take a flute. Grinning at the feel of my fingers on my keys, I bring it up to my mouth. I hadn't played in a while, but I still think I remember.

Blowing through the instrument, I smile at the tinkling sound that comes through the flute. Naomi's piano joins in and together we make our way through some of our favorite pieces, some we never wanted to be reminded of, and some that brought back memories that brought a small smile to our lips.

As the sun rises higher and higher into the bright blue sky, our music blows through the air carrying across mountain tops, plains, forests, oceans, galaxies, and reaching the one place we could ever call home: the small thing in our hearts called our friendship.

* * *

Biting my lip, I write down another sentence with my pencil.

I clear my throat. "And Rebecca cried, until the last drops of her very existence and reason to love was soaked out of her like a dirty rag mothers use to clean their clothing."

"And now how could little Ariel come up with something so sad, hmm?" A voice echoes from the entrance to the library.

Looking up from my work, my brows furrow. "What are you doing here?"

"What? I can't be in my own library?"

I roll my eyes. "No. I just thought you would be too busy with _Elizabeth_ to come in here," I sourly say.

"She wanted to go into town and pick out the gowns she ordered. I was too busy to accompany her."

I spread my arms wide open. "And yet I see you do nothing."

He shrugs. "I was watching you write. And we are back to where we started. How could you come up with something so depressing?"

Running my fingers through my hair, I sigh. "Not now Edmund."

He snorts. "Whatever. Mind if I do my work here?" Before I can reply, he does for me.

"Of course you would. But what would that do? It is still my library." I roll my eyes watching him sit down at a desk and opening up a book.

Turning my attention back to my writing, I sigh. I tap my pencil against my thigh trying to find some inspiration. My eyes wander over to Edmund, bent over his book, his wavy dark hair falling into his eyes. His creamy white skin is complemented by his blue suit. His sparkling blue eyes furrow in confusion and he bites his bottom lip, a full, pink lip. Straightening, he doesn't take his attention of his book. His freckles stand out against his skin.

Glancing over at me with one eye, he smirks. "You know, it's rude to stare."

I gape. "I wasn't staring."

Turning his body to me, he smiles. "Really? Then what do you call ogling someone for a full five minutes taking in every aspect of their face?"

Clearing my throat, I raise my chin high. "Finding inspiration."

Looking back to his book, Edmund smirks. "Well, find inspiration in a more subtle way."

Leaving one eye trained on him, I write down carefully, 'He lifts her chin and his bright ocean blue eyes stare into her emerald green pair. It was if he was looking into her soul, and Rebecca for the second time in her life felt vulnerable, afraid of her emotions being laid out for the most important person to see.'

Humming a random tune, I start sketching stars in the corner of the paper. Sighing, I look up to see Edmund staring.

I smirk. "Staring is rude."

Shaking his head, his vacant eyes look up at me. "Sorry. Day dreaming."

I snort. "Yea right."

"Hey, I can't find inspiration too?" he counters.

Turning my head to the side to see the title of his book, I roll my eyes. "Unless you're finding inspiration over how to properly deal with unruly dwarves."

He points a finger at me, accusingly. "Hey! Some can be VERY unruly."

"Yea, OK."

Examining me, Edmund shakes his head in wonderment. "Where do you come from?"

I frown. "Me?"

Twiddling with my thumbs, I look up at the ceiling. "America. California. 2012. I'm 18, and I'm starting university this fall. I plan on majoring in psychology and English. Umm… my dad's name was Mathew, my mom's is Lena, and my little sister's is Poppy. I was in a relationship for two years but I broke up with him two months ago."

He cocks his head. "Why?"

I shrug. "'Cause he's an ass. He cheated on me. Any girl in her right mind would dump him."

"Why would anyone cheat on you? You're perfect. You're smart, charming, funny, beautiful…"

Raising one eyebrow, I clear my throat. "When did you start being nice to me?"

Edmund stands up. "When did you start to care?"

I whistle. "Touché."

Smiling a little, I tuck a lock of hair behind my hair. "You know, you aren't as bad as I thought you were."

Winking at me, he grabs his book. "Don't worry. I'm just getting started."

Leaving the room, Edmund shuts the door with a smile. Oh no. Ariel has absolutely no idea just how bad Sweet Cheeks can be.

* * *

Elizabeth meditates underneath the large, ominous grey cloud. A small droplet falls onto her head, and she smiles at the feel of the cool water.

Suddenly, the cloud pours more and more rain onto Elizabeth until the water blends together into a waterfall and forms a beautiful white swan. The white, strong wings flap softly to bring the bird down beside the lady.

"Finally," Elizabeth says, red flames burning in her irises.

The swan opens its mouth to let loose a torrent of words. "You said they would be ready. And yet not one of my brethren walks upon Aslan's ground."

"There were some… mishaps. Calormen battled with Narnia, and I planned to bring them upon the world that day, yet for some unknown reason, they were held back. They are lurking in the waters, yet they do not come," Elizabeth says, gritting her teeth.

"Fix these mishaps. If they do not walk this earth by dusk tomorrow, you will die a slow, painful death. And I will be the one to avenge the Vilas."

Elizabeth nods, a tear stroking her cheek. "Of course."

The swan continues. "And to make sure of it, I will watch over your progress." Covering the body with the wings, the feathers mold into white skin, turning darker each second. Finally, a beautiful woman wearing a sheer white dress and holding onto a lock of her tumbling white blonde waves glares at Elizabeth with her cold, ice blue eyes.

"Elizabeth, you are to not fail me again."

She gulps. "Yes, Your Majesty."

Smiling cruely at the peaceful sight of the green garden before her, the Vila laughs. She laughs until all that can be heard are the sobs of Elizabeth in the back.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Hello! So, how'd you like this chapter? Lots of Naomi and Ariel in it! Woop Woop! And as I promised, some Ed and Ariel. I know many of you are wondering, now what is with Elizabeth. All will be revealed later. Much, much later.

To add a little bit of fun to all the depressing moods in this story, I added the breakfast scene. To be honest, that was so much fun to write. I saw it going on, and I was cracking up while reading over it. Maybe an author isn't supposed to do that, but I did and I hope you think its good too!

Yes, I know its not as long as previous chapters (like Chapter 6) but I had alot to do today, and after all my essay writing and project making, I thought 'Well, wouldn't it be lovely if I wrote a chapter for you fans?' So I did.

I'm just trying this out, and I wanna see if this will work but to get a new chapter up, I will need 5 reviews. That's all I'm asking for. 5 Honest-to-God reviews not just asking me to update. If it isn't working well, I will stop doing this, but for now 5 reviews. Hehe I like punishing people.

As always Review Review Review! (plus you kinda have to to get another chapter!)

Love,

Rita


	9. Chapter 8: Guests and Memories

Working through some of Narnia's finest pieces, Naomi plays on her piano. The sun shines on the back of her neck and she smiles at the sight of the pretty black notes on her page. Music is her everything. She had planned to major in it, yet with her being in a completely new universe, those dreams were shattered.

Taking a break from Narnia lullabies, she begins to play a symphony she knows like the back of her hand. She had played the piece to audition to University of Oregon's music program. It was Peter Glass's "Metamorphosis" and her favorite to play.

Pressing her fingers on the keys, she closes her eyes, picturing herself playing it in front of sold out audiences across the world. The music moves with her and she remembers the better days, the days of Rachmaninoff and Chopin, the days of waiting earnestly for a new record to come in from the local music shop. All that has been taken away.

Suddenly, her thoughts turn to lanterns in the middle of woods, and swans, and castles and fauns carrying packages. Narnia has changed everything within Naomi. It has stripped her of everything she once knew possible and added a whole new layer to her. Even if this is a coma, this experience has changed her whole being.

Clapping sounds from the entrance of the music room. Turning around, Naomi's eyes look vacant and lost.

A beautiful woman stands before her, leaning against the door frame. Her ice blue eyes sparkle with appreciation.

"That was marvelous!" The voice of the woman sounds gentle and soft, like a swan or a flute.

Naomi clears her throat, the vacant look disappearing from her eyes. "Thank you..."

The woman smiles. "Lady Jade of Archenland. And you are..."

Naomi smiles. "Lady Naomi of Telmar."

Stretching her hand out, Jade shake's Naomi's hand. "Pleased to meet you, Lady Naomi of Telmar. Telmar must be so pleased to be blessed with such a wonderful musical prodigee."

Naomi's cheeks blossom red. "Oh, I wouldn't call myself a musical prodigee. Just a musician in training."

Jade laughs a wonderful laugh that seems to fill up the whole room. "Well, whatever you are, your music is quite extraordinary."

Jade continues. "My friend, Lady Elizabeth, is staying here and I wanted to visit her. I had never been to Narnia and I must say, it is beautiful here. So much life, so much kindness. Nobody would want to ruin it." The lady's lips curl into a devious grin then reverts back to a kind, pleasing smile. Naomi doesn't notice.

"The kings and queens take much pride in their country. It is all due to them Narnia is running as smoothly as it is."

Jade grits her teeth. "Of course."

Shaking her head as if to get rid of the thought, Jade takes Naomi's hand. "Come. We have much catching up to do. And you can introduce me to the kings and queens."

* * *

The four sit around the grand table, feasting on lunch. Elizabeth and Ariel laugh to a joke Peter had said, while Edmund, Lucy, and Susan discuss matters with some squirrel dispute.

"I tell you. Vinican said his brother hoarded the acorns, and the family believed he was planning to starve them. When I came to see them, they were barely able to hold back the two brothers from biting each other's heads off," Edmund describes.

Susan sighs, taking a nimble bite of her chicken. "Those squirrels will be the death of me."

Looking over to the entrance of the Grand Hall, Lucy's lips break into a smile. "Why, look! Naomi has brought a visitor."

All eyes turn to the two women entering. Susan grits her teeth at her beauty, Lucy frowns at the thought she has not ever seen this woman, and both Peter and Edmund take notice of her sheer white gown. Ariel sighs at the fact yet another woman is going to disrupt her fitting in at the Cair. Elizabeth nervously takes a sip of wine.

The blonde woman curtseys before the nobles. "Good afternoon, your Majesties. I hope I am not disrupting your meal. I am Lady Jade of Archenland and I was on my way to Telmar when suddenly my horse ran wild. The closest place of safety I could find was Cair Paravel."

You can tell a liar by the amount of information they give you and Ariel had a gnawing feeling at the back of her mind that this woman cannot be trusted.

Peter clears his throat, not taking his eyes off of Jade's breasts clearly seen through the see through dress. "You must stay here then. We have plenty of guest rooms, and we cannot leave a beautiful woman in the streets."

Naomi frowns at his words. "I was thinking the same thing, Peter."

He turns his attention to the girl and realizes why she had looked a shade of green at breakfast. He sighs sadly. How stupid is he?

Looking over at Elizabeth who is gnawing a chicken bone, Peter smiles. "Elizabeth, Jade is from Archenland. I do believe you two know each other."

Elizabeth takes a sip of her wine.

Jade speaks for her. "We know each other quite well," she says with a glare.

Not taking notice of the fatal look the lady sent Elizabeth, Peter grins. "Elizabeth, may you please show Lady Jade a room? We will try to make arrangements for you to get to Telmar as soon as possible."

Elizabeth's eyes widen in shock. "Oh King Peter, I couldn't. I'm merely a -", but Jade interrupts her.

"Lady Elizabeth, it would be an honor for you to show me my room. We have much catching up to do, don't we, love?" Jade sneers.

Gulping, Elizabeth stands. "Of course." Taking Jade's hand gingerly, she leads her out of the Grand Hall.

Naomi sits down in a chair and begins to pile her plate with lunch. "Jade's quite nice."

Glancing at Peter, she pours herself some wine.

"She's nothing special."

Edmund snorts. "Bugger off. I saw the way you were watching her every move. You couldn't take your eyes off of her."

Gulping down some salad, Peter shrugs. "I like her dress."

Edmund grumbles something underneath his breath.

Susan smiles at Naomi. "I heard you found the music room. Do you enjoy it?"

Naomi beams. "Oh yes! I adore it! How did you know?"

Su grins into her plate. "I was looking for someone and I heard someone playing piano. I looked into the room, and I saw you."

Ariel smiles. "I showed her the room. I thought it would be a nice surprise."

Peter takes a sip of his wine. "The music room actually used to be a storage room, but when we moved in, Ed decided to change it into a music room. He was in his piano faze due to him trying to impress Princess Arianna of Telmar. Ever since she turned him down, that room hasn't been in use."

Lucy closes her eyes, sighing. "Oh I remember when the halls of Cair Paravel used to be filled with HORRIBLE music. Whenever we heard something off tune, we always assumed it was Edmund practicing piano. It was a joke for many years. It's wonderful they're filled with music again. GOOD music." She smirks.

Naomi stabs her fork into her fish. "Well, I will try to make sure I don't fail you. If anything, music is my one passion."

Ariel grins at her friend. "One day, I walked to her house and heard her playing piano. I started make up some random song to go with it, and ever since, we were a duo."

Naomi smiles at Ariel. "Do you remember that one time when Clyde asked if you wanted to see a movie, and then you said, 'Sorry. Me and Naomi are in the middle of a signing a recording contract.' He actually BELIEVED us! The next day he asked, 'Hey. How'd your deal go?'"

Ariel laughs, wiping away imaginary tears. "Good times, good times."

The four siblings look at them with equal expressions of mixed confusion and amusement.

Edmund shakes his head. "You two are something."

Ariel snorts. "Like you haven't had a best friend you could do anything with."

"Nope." Edmund pops the p.

Naomi gasps. "No. That's not possible."

Lucy smiles. "For him it is. All he did was shut himself up and read all day. He occasionally came out of his den to mope and eat."

Ariel gapes. "That's a sad life."

Edmund smirks at her. "Like you had a more interesting one."

"Actually I do. For one, I got transported to a different world I didn't even know existed. I was quite wild when I was younger."

Naomi shovels some more pasta in her mouth. "One time, she decided she would jump off a house."

Ariel nods. "True. I was nine and I wanted to fly. So I decided to jump off the roof. I ended up breaking my arm and foot. I was the most popular girl in school with my sparkly purple cast. Everyone signed it."

Edmund thinks for a moment. "I once…. Well I don't really remember much of my life. It really only started in Narnia."

Ariel slams her hand on the table. "Then that's done. Someday I'm going to make you do something so wild nobody would even believe you did it."

He snorts. "Like what? Jump off a cliff?"

Ariel wiggles her eyebrows deviously. "Even worse."

Lucy laughs. "Well, as much as this conversation entertained me, I must be off. I promised Wendy we would go for a walk." Standing, she exits.

Naomi frowns. "Who's Wendy?"

Susan smiles. "Her horse."

Ariel chokes on her drink.

Su frowns. "What? What did I say?"

Peter chuckles. "Nothing. I just don't believe the two ever encountered a talking horse before."

"What a surprise," Ed says into his goblet.

Naomi rolls her eyes. "I'm going to go too. Ariel, come with?"

Her friend nods. "Yep. Coming." Waving to the three, Ariel leaves as well.

Susan turns to her younger brother. "Are you really going to jump off a cliff?"

Peter laughs. "As if."

* * *

"Here's your room," Elizabeth says before scurrying off.

"Wait!" Jade yells then grins. Holding out her hand, she twists it and pulls it closer towards her chest. Elizabeth feels something pulling her, and she is pulled back to Jade, as if to a magnet.

"Tsk, tsk. Elizabeth, do you really want to play this game. You know who I am. You know what I can do. So then why do you keep running away?"

Elizabeth grits her teeth. "Leave me alone, Jade. I know what I am doing. They already don't trust me. If I do anything now, all fingers will be pointed at ME first. And if they aren't, Naomi and Ariel sure will."

Jade snorts. "You know I don't need you. I could easily do without. But you know things that can be fatal. You may play the good girl act well, but that doesn't make you one. I see now why Jadis wanted you. I also see why she got rid of you before it was too late."

"Do not say her name!" Elizabeth spits out.

"Or what?" Jade sneers in the brunette's face. "Or what? Will you do away with me? Will you bring wittle Edmund on me? You know that no matter how much you want him he is an obstacle. And obstacles are meant to be destroyed."

Playing with the tips of her hair, Jade sighs. "Little child. You know nothing. You may have been close with her, yet you know I have power you do not. I can bring monsters that cannot die. And what can you do?"

Elizabeth gapes at the Vila. "You are a MONSTER."

Jade snorts. "You just realized that?"

Jade grasps Elizabeth's chin and forces her to stare into the Vila's ice blue eyes. "I see you have grown weak over the eight years she has been gone. You know, I have been in slumber for quite a long time. And I just realized how much I missed being awake. For you humans, eight years is a while, and I believed you had the power to do SOMETHING in Jadis' absence. And yet I see no change. Just more peace, more happiness, more love. How disgusting."

She continues. "Now, listen. And you better listen hard, _Elizabeth_," Jade sneers. "For some unknown reason the damn lion brought two Daughters of Eve onto this land. They are weak, more weak that you are. Aslan keeps going on over how much hope they have to save Narnia from the Dark Ages yet both you and I know hope goes nowhere. They have no hope. Yet Aslan is protecting them. And the first key to victory is to destroy them. You do that, and I will take care of the rest. Do you understand?"

Elizabeth nods obediently.

Letting go of her chin, Jade grins. "Good." She starts to walk into her suite but at the last minute turns around and faces Elizabeth again.

"And make your love for Edmund more believable. It is quite boring." Yawning, the Vila winks and closes the door.

* * *

_Your fingertips across my skin  
The palm trees swaying in the wind  
Images_

_You sang me Spanish lullabies_  
_The sweetest sadness in your eyes_  
_Clever trick_

_I never want to see you unhappy_  
_I thought you'd want the same for me_

_Goodbye, my almost lover_  
_Goodbye, my hopeless dream_  
_I'm trying not to think about you_  
_Can't you just let me be?_  
_So long, my luckless romance_  
_My back is turned on you_  
_I should've known you'd bring me heartache_  
_Almost lovers always do_

Ariel sings at the top of the cliff, clutching her knees. Her voice echoes across the ocean below her, a slice of clear, teal glass. The sun shines down on her head and the patch of flowers she is sitting on is blowing back and forth.

Ariel is reminiscing. Sometimes it happened, sometimes it didn't. But almost everyday ever since the breakup she felt broken. She could feel the jagged tears in her heart.

_Putting her books in her locker, Ariel turns around to see sympathetic glances being sent her way. Josh Broman stops and pats her back. "I'm sorry, Ariel."_

_Many thoughts run through her head. Did her mom get in an accident? Or is it her dad's birthday? No, it's in three weeks. Then what is it?_

_Clyde passes her, Michelle Denman on his arm. She is giggling at some joke he had just said, and as the couple passes Ariel, she sees her whisper something to him. Clyde's green eyes meet Ariel's and a look of guilt passes in them. _

_He mouths, "I'm sorry," then continues on listening to Michelle. _

_As they leave, Ariel notices a purple bruise on Michelle's neck. And right there, in the middle of the hallway, before 3rd period, Ariel breaks down and starts to sob. _

A warm hand rubs Ariel's back. Looking up, she sees Edmund beside her. Ariel realizes she is crying.

"Oh my god. This is so embarrassing." Wiping away her tears, she grins at the king.

He smiles sadly. "It's alright. You can cry. I'm not embarrassed."

Ariel laughs, a shaky sort of sound. "Wow. First guy I heard who said that."

Sitting down next to her, Edmund nods. "It's true. Four years ago, a princess came here with her father. I was infatuated with her, and I thought she was too. I guess she wasn't."

Ariel frowns. "What happened?"

He stares in front of him not looking at Ariel. "She kissed Peter."

Edmund continues. "Ever since then, Peter and I made a pact to not let a girl come between us. That we had to get the permission of the other to be with someone."

Ariel clears her throat. "Did you get Peter's permission?"

His brows furrow. "For who?"

She laughs. "For Elizabeth."

He shrugs. "I didn't ask."

A moment of silence passes between them, both immersed in their own thoughts.

"She's an airhead."

Edmund turns to Ariel, confused. "Excuse me?"

She clarifies. "Elizabeth is a snob. She could care less about someone. I've met plenty of girls like her. Makeup and clothes are all they seem to know about. It's kinda sad."

"Susan likes makeup and clothes."

Ariel shrugs. "Yes, but she has a sense of right and wrong. She knows who she is and what man she wants to stand by her side. Susan wants to meet someone and fall in love, deal with the bumps in the road, and live a life with no regrets. She's wise. Elizabeth… she wants the fairytale wedding where the prince is charming, handsome, and wealthy."

Edmund chuckles. "Are you calling me charming, handsome, and wealthy?"

Ariel punches his arm. "Well, for one, you're a king which makes you wealthy. And by the way I notice the maids and ladies staring after you, I assume they think you're charming and handsome."

"And what do you think?"

"I think beauty is not everything." Looking over at Edmund, Ariel meets his dark, brooding gaze.

She laughs awkwardly. "Stop it. Please."

"Stop what?"

"Stop staring at me like that. It's like you are looking at me through the eyes of an admirer or a lover, not an acquaintance or enemy."

"When were we enemies?"

Ariel snorts. "Please. Don't you remember promising me that you're just getting started."

"And how did that suddenly make me an enemy?"

She pauses to think, then purses her lips. "Just… stop. Stop staring at me like that."

Edmund cocks his head. "And what if I don't want to?"

Ariel notices the close proximity between them and she gulps, feeling his warm breath on her.

"Then you should remember about Elizabeth. And the fact I will never look at you the way you just did." Hitching her skirts up, she takes one last look at the king on the ground and runs back into the castle.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **I'm kind of disappointed with you guys. Listen, I know I have many followers. I do get emails on when someone favorites or follows me or my story. Clearly, none of you want to review though because you're all lazy. So now I'm not writing this story for you guys anymore. I'm writing it for myself and the few that actually do review like MythicalGirl17. I don't want to end this story because I love to write, and I'm not planning on giving up because others hate it. So I will still be updating but not for you guys. For myself and the three reviewers I got last chapter.

For those that reviewed, Hope you liked this chapter! And who exactly is Elizabeth? And what does Jade have to do with it?

And then there's the wonderful Pevensies as always having fun. And Ariel brooding over lost love. And Edmund brooding over... Ariel? Lots of drama coming up!

The song Ariel sang in this chapter is "Almost Lover" by A fine Frenzy. It's only a part of it, but a part nonetheless.

For all you Peomi (or Nater?) fans, yes there is no sparks between them but it'll come. All in good time my lovelies.

And as always, REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!

Love,

Rita


	10. Chapter 9: Ideas and Madness

The waves crash onto the shore, suddenly turning violent. It battles against the sand and screams victoriously. Green tendrils of hair lift from the water like slimy seaweed. A scaly arm grabs onto a rock.

* * *

"King Peter! King Peter!" a dwarf yells for the High King.

Looking through documents in the meeting room, the High King looks up nervously.

"Yes, Doomcutter?"

The red bearded dwarf starts pulling at his long beard and stuttering.

"My, my king! So-so-so many DEATHS! Aclepius just informed of them! Dead mermaids are littered across the ocean floors. Naiads are floating on their lakes, and almost every source of water has begun to have quite a sickly shade of green. Some of the tree animals near lakes tell of visitors dying the minute their skin touches water. Some say beautiful women commit these crimes."

Peter's face grows paler by the minute. "Doomcutter? Anything else?"

Doomcutter nods, gulping down bile. "Yes, my king. The birds say they all whisper one word: Aslan."

Falling back, Peter is caught by a chair.

"My king? My king?" Doomcutter nervously waves his hand in front of Peter's face.

"Doomcutter please leave. I need to think this over."

With Doomcutter's exit, Peter is suddenly struck by fear. Deaths? Naiads floating? Shades of green? Beautiful women?

Nothing seems to connect. Scratching his chin, Peter bites his lip. He needs to gather all the nobles and generals for an urgent meeting. Before it's too late.

"We need to scout every source of water! Investigate it! Make sure it is not infected!" General Cronius demands.

Lord Benjamin folds his hands in his lap. "I agree. Yet you heard what Doomcutter and Aclepius recalled for us. Do we want more deaths? And no information?"

Duke Bane nods. "Lord Benjamin is right. We know little of the situation and yet we are prepared to send our men into a battle where we know not of the opposing side or of the outcome? We should not risk it."

This whole time Edmund and Peter stand to the side, biting their lips. How could it come to this? Narnia is in its Golden Age. The White Witch is dead and she was the only fear for several centuries. Who else would want to hurt the famed nation?

Lord Seraph stands. "If anything, we must investigate the people of Narnia. Anyone of suspicion must be followed or kept under strict supervision. Any new arrivals must be questioned and jailed until further notice."

With those words, King Edmund slams his hand on the table. "We will do no such thing! All of our guests come with kind words and help!"

Duke Bane clears his throat. "I was on the Mariposa when it was sailing home from the Lone Islands. I do believe Ladies Ariel and Naomi appeared in the ocean with no explanation. We should start with them."

King Peter gapes at Bane's words. "If I do recall, my siblings and I too appeared in Narnia with no explanation from the world of Man. You have as much right to point fingers at the royals ruling you!"

Duke Bane stares at the king. "Yes, but you saved Narn-," but Edmund interrupts him.

"And what if they are here to save us?"

Lord Seraph clears his throat. "Lady Elizabeth and Jane are also two new arrivals. And I do believe both are beautiful women who also have poor reasons to be in this country in the first place."

King Edmund's eyes widen. "Lady Elizabeth accompanied her father who had to be here for a meeting!"

Lord Seraph doesn't acknowledge his words. "I did some research and learned that Otho de la Weise does have two daughters, yet both are dead. And there is no trace of Elizabeth de la Weise in all of Archenland, Telmar, Narnia, and Calormen. Either she is lying to the world or is going under a fake name for her safety. This brings me to the question WHY she would need a fake name."

King Peter sighs. "Thank you everyone for your opinions and thoughts but I think my brother and I must be left alone to think this through." Waiting for everyone to depart the room, Peter turns to Edmund.

Edmund's eyes meet Peter's, a fear lurking in them. "Do you think Seraph was telling the truth?"

"Why would he lie?"

* * *

Braiding flowers in a little faun girl's hair, Naomi coos at the sight.

"Becca, you look quite like the queen."

Becca blushes under tendrils of long hair. "Lady Naomi, I could never be a queen. I'm not pretty like Queen Susan or brave enough like Queen Lucy."

Tucking a strand of Becca's hair behind her ear, Naomi smiles. "If you had anymore courage you would be a lioness."

"Excuse me, but is this a bad time?" a voice calls out from behind Naomi.

Both the faun and the lady turn to see a grinning, yet somewhat exasperated High King Peter.

Becca squeals and begins to push her hair out of her face with her small, baby hands.

Peter laughs and bows. "Good afternoon ladies."

Naomi giggles and stands to curtsey. Becca quickly follows her lead.

Tucking a daisy behind Becca's ear, Naomi crouches down to be eye level with the little faun. "May I please speak with High King Peter, Lady Becca?"

She sighs but nods with a sad smile. Kissing her on the cheek, Naomi squeezes Becca's hand in farewell.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Naomi nods with pursed lips. "Peter."

"Listen. I'm sorry about before. I really am."

Naomi shrugs. "What's to apologize for?"

Walking closer to the girl, Peter towers over her. "I don't like seeing you unhappy. Why are you happy with me one second, and then ignoring me the next?"

She looks into his light blue eyes, causing him to step back. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was making you concerned," she answers with an expressionless tone of voice.

Peter's insides flare and he cracks. "Damn it, Naomi! I have been nothing but kind, and yet for some reason you are acting like I broke your heart! What did I do? How can we get better if you don't tell me what's wrong? I already have enough on my mind. There are unexplained deaths happening, the lords are blaming you and Ariel, and now you are ostracizing me from yourself!"

Naomi's eyes widen. "What?" she whispers.

Peter grits his teeth. "You heard me perfectly well."

Naomi shakes her head in a daze. "No, not that. The part where you said everyone is blaming ME for people dying."

The High King gulps and runs his fingers through his hair. "It's just… there are people dying and no one knows why. The birds say beautiful women kill them. The lords say the only way we can find the suspect is to jail any new arrivals, and you and Ariel are at the top of the list."

"But, but, but…," Naomi stutters and she feels her knees go weak.

Gulping, she looks back at Peter. "You don't believe them do you?" She winces at the expression.

Noticing Peter's hesitation, her shoulders slump. "You don't believe me."

Peter shakes his head, running his hand through his hair again. "No, it's not that. I just think to be safe-," but Naomi interrupts him.

"No! You think I'm a threat! You-How could you? And you just said things had to get better between us. How-how can I trust you?" she spits out.

Shaking her head, Naomi wipes her eyes. "I can't-I can't- I have to go." Standing up, she takes one last glance at the king.

"Have a good afternoon, your Majesty." Pursing her lips, Naomi runs out of the garden. The last thing Peter heard was her tears.

Sitting down on the bench Naomi had just occupied, Peter sighs. How did it come down to this? He made all the mistakes. Scratching his cheek, he feels his old scar bringing back old memories. Ha. Guess history does repeat itself.

Looking over to the side, Peter takes notice of a daisy beside him. Lifting it, he examines the petals and the way it always seemed innocent and simple, no problems or drama. And yet the daisies always seemed to find him.

Tucking the flower into his pocket, he stands, takes one last breath, and walks out of the garden.

* * *

Elizabeth showers Edmund with kisses all planted with a seed of hatred. Why did she have to do this? Why? She understands breaking Peter or hurting Lucy but why Edmund? If anything, Jade didn't need him the most. Yet she has to tear Edmund apart just like she has to tear every other Narnian apart.

As Ariel watches from the outskirts, she gulps. Why did she feel this? Why jealousy? No, it was not jealousy. Merely…Discomfort. She's dealt with plenty of Elizabeths in her time and she did not want to see her friend getting hurt. Wait, friend? That's a change.

But looking at Edmund, Ariel smiles. Yes, Edmund is quite her friend. They had plenty of fun teasing and playing with one another. Edmund is able to take away the pain she still felt everyday for Clyde. While Naomi forces him into the conversation to make Ariel move past him, Edmund knows heartbreak. He knows the pain that comes with the mention of just a name.

Elizabeth kisses Edmund goodbye, and disappears around the corner. The king shuffles in one spot but noticing Ariel by the vase of flowers, he joins her.

"Good afternoon, milady."

Ariel smirks. "I thought you only used formalities for those you find annoying or desperate. The people you don't quite much like."

Rubbing his temple, Ed sighs. "It's just… things have been very stressful this past week. You would think being a king would allow you to enjoy the luxuries of royalty." He laughs at the thought.

Licking her lips, Ariel rocks back and forth. "You know I was just thinking about us."

He smirks. "Us?"

Ariel rolls her eyes. "You know our _friendship_," she clarifies.

Edmund's brows lift up. "Wow. We went from rivals to friends in a matter of… 24 hours?"

"Please! We have not been acting like rivals. Although I am still waiting for you to fulfill your promise on _this_ going past 'just getting started.'"

The king chuckles. "I'm still thinking of revenge. Don't worry. It's coming."

"Ooo. Can't wait." Ariel laughs and throws her head back.

"I have to go. I feel like I need to catch up with your sisters. Have a good afternoon, Sweet Cheeks." She laughs, walking away.

Edmund shakes his head. That girl is something special. Quite unlike the other ladies in the court. Of course it could also be the fact she came from the 21st century on Earth, and from the way Ariel has all the attention on her it's clear the future is nothing like 1940.

A figure in white bumps into him and squeals.

"Oh, you're Majesty! I apologize!" Edmund turns to be met with Jade's misty blue eyes. She smiles.

"I saw you talking to Lady Ariel. Isn't she so beautiful? I envy her. Having a noble wrapped around her finger. A king, no less." Running her fingers through the ends of her blonde hair, she cocks her head.

Edmund clears his throat. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Jade throws back her head and the air around her shimmers. "Like I didn't see the way you were drooling when she laughed."

Noticing his confused expression, she purses her lips and smiles. "Don't worry. If it helps, she was looking at you the same way. But who couldn't, right?" Grinning, she rubs her shoulder, exposing her bare skin.

"I was actually looking for you, King Edmund. I wanted to find a book in the library, but since I'm new, I thought you would know where this particular…novel is."

Ed smiles at the beautiful girl. "Of course." Offering her his arm, Edmund goes into a longwinded discussion on how he met his first love in the library.

"And she dropped the book right on my foot, and when she was standing up to pick it up, I was met by the most spectacular pair of eyes. She winked and said, 'Well, you know when to be at the right place at the right time, don't you?'" The couple reaches the door and he smiles at the memory.

Jade beams at Edmund's innocence. "That sounds so romantic. What is her name?"

He gulps. "…Princess Marie."

Jade sighs. "That's beautiful. She was a lucky girl."

Glancing to the side, Jade shrugs her shoulders. "Guess we're here now."

Opening the door, Edmund turns to the woman in white. "What's the name of the book? Or the genre?"

Jade gulps. "The genre is… magic." She is about to go into an explanation over why she needs it when she notices how the young king doesn't seem to care.

Presenting her the section, which is just two bookcases, Edmund sees Jade biting her lip at the minimal selection. Picking out the book, Jade flips through a few pages when her hand slips and drops it on the king's foot.

"I am so sorry, you're Majesty! I did not mean that at all!" But her voice catches when their eyes meet. Jade gulps. Edmund freezes, caught in the shimmering, misty quality of her blue eyes.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I really complimented you on your beauty yet."

Jade giggles. "Oh, you're Majesty."

Leaning in, Edmund's breath on her face makes her heart freeze. This is the moment. This is the moment where everything, her future and the rest of Narnia's will change. And then their lips collide.

His hands grip onto her sides and she winds her fingers through his hair. Opening her mouth, she sucks on his bottom lip and then grants his tongue into her throat. She hears him groan and can't help but smirk. If this is pure joy to him then he'd practically die at the treatment she gave foreign dignitaries and mortals in different universes. Their mouths move together and practically tear one another's lips off. Jade could feel Edmund's desperation and tension loosening and temptation sinking into him and she can't help but have the same feelings melt into her as well. Of course, she felt stronger emotions when she made out with the Prince of England a century ago, but this will do.

Edmund's hands move up to Jade's shoulders and start slipping the dress off of them. Untying the laces in the back, he bites her ear and starts rubbing her collarbone and stomach. Jade's dress is about to slip off and he moans at the image of the feel of her on him.

"What the fuck is this, Edmund!" a young voice screams. Opening his eyes, Edmund sees Elizabeth staring shocked at the sight of her rival making out with her boyfriend.

Jade smirks into Edmund's lips and whispers, "Please Edmund. Tell me she gave this to you."

After a pause, she rolls his lip on her teeth. "Thought so."

Pushing her away, Edmund stares disgusted at the half naked sight of her. Turning his attention back to Elizabeth, he starts walking up to her.

"Elizabeth, please-," but Elizabeth screams instead.

"You said you loved me! Five minutes ago you were kissing me like I was you're everything and now you're sucking this bitch's face off!"

Edmund's face turns red. "Don't call her that!"

Jade plants her hand on Edmund's chest with a comforting smile. "Don't Edmund. She's right. I am a bitch. And if you know better you would stay away from me. But clearly you didn't even know that it's not right to cheat on your girlfriend."

"How dare you Jade? I said I would deal with it! I thought we had a deal!" Elizabeth shrieks.

"Well you weren't fulfilling your portion of it, as you can see." Jade smirks.

She continues. "You don't understand? I'll show you." Turning around, she plants her lips on Edmund's and starts to lift the hem of his tunic. Edmund suddenly forgets where he is and who he is kissing. All he knows is the temptation running through him. Kissing her neck, he begins to continue untying her dress and Jade takes Edmund's shirt off, biting his perfectly molded muscles.

"Jade! Get the fuck out of here! I knew I shouldn't have brought you here!"

Cocking her head, Jade allows Edmund to suck on her neck. Smiling at Elizabeth, she winks.

"Elizabeth, you wouldn't have gotten anywhere without me. Hell, without me, you wouldn't have an Edmund to worry about."

"Get the fuck out of here," Elizabeth spits out.

Turning to face the lady, Jade glares at her. "You know what, you're right. I should be leaving. To wreak even more havoc on the worlds. But to just show what I'm capable of." She collides her lips with Edmund again, stripping her dress off for him and have him bite her stomach and moan against her bare skin. Grinning at the stunned expression on Elizabeth's face, she picks her dress up from the floor and daintily skips out of the library, book in hand. Edmund stares after her, his shirt still in his hands.

Elizabeth whimpers at the lost and dazed expression on his face. Little brainwashed Edmund.

Kissing his cheek, she wipes away a tear and follows Jade, leaving Edmund still contemplating what had just occurred.

* * *

Walking into the meeting room, Edmund is met with a solitary figure drowning him self in alcohol.

"Brother," the figure says.

Edmund nods, acknowledging him. "Pass me the bottle."

Gulping down the wine, Edmund winces.

Peter sighs. "Are you thinking about what Lord Seraph said too?"

Edmund nods. "I realized just how little I know of people. Did you know Elizabeth and Jade are more than just ladies to each other? They're plotting something. And they definitely do not agree."

Peter gulps more alcohol. "Naomi hates me. I dropped the whole 'Everyone thinks you're a suspect' bomb."

Ed looks over at his older brother. "Maybe Lord Seraph is right. Maybe we do need to somehow isolate the suspects and find the one responsible."

Peter stares shocked. "Edmund! I thought you are the voice of reason."

The younger king sighs. "I am. And I think we know very little about our guests."

The two brothers sit in silence, each drinking from his bottle. Glancing over at one another, they clink bottles.

"To reason."

* * *

A woman in white jumps onto a tree and grins. Taking out the red leather book, she flips to the page. An incantation in gold is written.

Whispering it onto the water below her, she purses her lips.

_Yas ryouer roysr_

_Eadl up het warllsite_

_Pahpy gndesi onw I __nokw_

_Byba I swa inaev_

_Yas ryouer roysr_

_Eadl up het warllsite_

_Pahpy gndesi onw I nokw_

_Byba I swa inaev_

The water bubbles and white feathers float up to the surface along with green tendrils of seaweed like hair. Swans fly out of the lake and scaly, beautiful faces pop up with malicious smiles playing on their faces. The swans land on the tree branches around Jade, flocks of them, all turning into beautiful women. The green women below hiss and laugh, pulling themselves onto land, dripping water from their naked bodies.

Jade laughs. "Vila, Rusalki, today we are born. Tomorrow we rise!"

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **I'm not going to say anything in this author's note. I want all you readers to think on this chapter. Mwahahaha.

Any questions, review review review!

Love,

Rita


	11. Chapter 10: Waves and Scars

The waves crash on the shore. Staring up at the sun, I breathe in the salty air.

"Ariel!"

Turning around, I see Lucy towering over me in a scarlet gown. A smile plays on her face.

"Hey, Lu."

Joining me on the sand, she wraps her arms around her knees.

"I'm so sorry," she whispers.

My brows furrow in confusion. "Excuse me?"

Lucy continues. "I can't believe Peter and Edmund would do this. And to their friends."

Getting up on my elbows, I face her. "What do you mean?"

Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she smiles sadly. "Oh Ariel. I'm going to miss your humor."

I laugh awkwardly. "Lucy, I have no idea what you're talking about. Please, do explain."

Lucy gulps. "Something strange is happening in town. People are dying with no explanation and all the creatures are saying beautiful women are the cause. The dignitaries suspect... you. They say we should jail you before you... harm anyone else. Peter and Edmund... agree."

I gape. "Wh-what?"

She bites her lip. "I'm sorry! I tried! But they wouldn't listen."

I shake my head. "No. I don't blame you. I-I'm going to go. I need to think." Getting up, I walk towards the castle.

How-how could they do this? They saved us. And-and now they're jailing us? After I worked things out with Edmund? How could he do this?

Running through the trees, I don't notice the dense wood turning dark and wild. Birds chirp in the depths of the forests and Dryads giggle and laugh like ghosts. Up ahead, leaves rustle and fall to the ground.

Getting farther and farther into the woods, all my thoughts are chased from my head. The only thing that keeps running through my brain like a steady drum beat is 'Run. Run. Run.'

As the patches of sky darken to red and orange, I see flickers of flame in the blackness beyond.

Crude laughter and singing floats through the air and it captivates me. My running slows into a jog and then into a walk.

The laughter is louder now and the flames are brighter.

A familiar voice echoes through the trees. "Lena, pass me the spirits! We can't conquer this world on an empty stomach!"

I reach a large campfire and I see hundreds and thousands of beautiful women seated around it. They are all singing and drowning themselves in alcohol. I hide in the brushes, watching the sight.

Jade is dancing around the flames, the tongues of heat licking her calves and ends of her white dress. A bottle is in her right hand and she pours the honey liquid onto her lips. Running her hands through her hair, she rubs herself erotically. The women around her laugh and do the same.

"Men are so naive! They think they rule the world and can control us! Do they know how much power we have? Do they know we can blast the heavens, turn back time, and repeat history? No, they can't. They worship that mangy cat and not see the weakness in his heart. Fuck men! Fuck Aslan!" Jade yells. A guttural sound comes from her throat.

My heart aches. These... monsters hate men. They think the same thoughts I think, the same thoughts I had thought ever since Clyde. These are my people. They want women to rule and have a higher status in society. My throat chokes up.

Suddenly, Jade cocks her head. "They come."

From the trees, ink black flower petals blow through and whisper amongst themselves. Upon appearing in front of the group, they laugh.

"Mistress."

"Why were you late?" Jade growls.

They bow their heads. "The kings forced us to wander through the trees and pick out suspects. How stupid."

Jade laughs and pours alcohol over her body. "Come. Join us."

The grotesque Dryads seat themselves far away from the fire and converse with the women, all plotting some war or recalling a nightmare of hunting men and giving them a long, slow death.

I gulp. Turning around, I run back through the trees. At the edge of the forest, I see the sky has turned midnight black and is dotted with sparkly stars. The pools circling the forest sparkle and clumps of seaweed sway back and forth in the water. Occasionally, a clump would rise and fall, as if it is breathing soundly.

Cair Paravel stands ominous against the black backdrop and seems to laugh at my misery. Once I enter the large doors, I'll have to face them. Once I enter the palace, I'll be a traitor.

Horses neigh not too far off, and I decide to join them instead of seeing the kings. Entering the stables, my eyes meet hundreds of stallions.

Taking in the fresh smell of hay, I walk to the end of the stable and see a velvet black horse taking in my every movement with curious chocolate brown eyes.

Cautiously inching closer, I take out an apple from my pocket that I had planned to save for a snack. I extend my hand forward and in a second the horse's warm, fuzzy tongue licks my hand and the fruit disappears.

"Thank you, milady," the horse nods.

The fact that words just spilled from his mouth surprisingly didn't astonish me. Instead, I grin.

"Ariel. Just Ariel."

"Well, Just Ariel, I would like to present myself as Morris, but I would prefer a lady like your self call me Mo."

Rubbing my hand on his nose, I smile. "Nice to meet you, Mo."

Mo looks to the side, making sure unwanted ears weren't listening in. "Before you came in, I noticed you had a very disturbed expression on your face. May I ask what bothers you?"

I grit my teeth. "I assume you heard of King Peter and King Edmund's royal decree."

He cocks his head. "If it helps, I don't believe they are doing the right thing."

Nuzzling closer to Mo, I sigh. "If only humans could have a horse's wisdom. The world would be so much better off."

Mo makes a sound resembling a laugh. "You have a very good sense of humor, Lady Ariel."

A pregnant silence passes with only the sounds of a typical stable going to bed.

I bite my lip. "I know this is too much to ask for, but would you like going for a walk?"

Mo's eyes brighten. "I would love that. Do you know how to ride?"

"Nope," I say.

Grabbing a saddle, I strap him up and lead him outdoors. Getting up on him, I pat his side. "Ready?"

Mo shakes his head with a neigh. "Ready."

Walking around the gardens and town, Mo and I talk. We talk of silly things and nonsense, trying to keep our minds off of the unexplainable deaths.

Mo's hooves sink into the sand and I smell the salty air. The stars twinkle above and seem to wave down below.

"There is a prophecy," Mo begins.

"Oh?"

He continues. "It says that when the sky is black and hope has once again returned a star will fall from the heavens to reward man."

"Like a shooting star?"

Mo shakes his mane. "Stars in Narnia are people. Well, as close to people as they can get. They float from the sky and personally gift them with knowledge, power, or love."

I shrug. I never believe in prophecies. "And when will this star fall from the sky?"

Mo neighs. "Nobody knows. Maybe it's tomorrow, or in a year, or in a thousand."

Our conversation is caught off by yells and lanterns running closer. Dwarves and fauns sigh with relief.

"Lady Ariel, everyone has been looking for you!"

"Their Majesties have a very important message for Narnia to hear."

"Lady Ariel, come!"

Sighing, I pat Mo's side. He takes that as his cue to canter away from the exasperated searchers.

* * *

The wind blows through my hair and I feel a sense of weightlessness. Sadly, it ends as soon as we reach Cair Paravel.

Jumping off, I kiss Mo on the nose. "Thank you. I'll visit you tomorrow."

Mo nuzzles closer into my hand. "Good night, Ariel. May your worries disappear with the coming of day." Licking my palm, he neighs and runs away. I turn around and face the castle.

Upon entering the palace, light hits my face and everyone breathes with a sigh of relief. Naomi's shoulders slump and she smiles.

"Ariel, never leave me again! Everyone has been looking for you since lunch!"

Hugging my friend, I whisper into her ear, "We're going to be jailed. We have to run."

Naomi whispers back, "I know. And we can't. I'm already under guard. You shouldn't have come back."

Glancing to the side, I see two minotaurs taking post beside me. I sigh.

"Ariel!" Four siblings crush me, and I feel lips on my cheek.

"You're safe!" Susan smiles.

Peter frowns. "You shouldn't leave the palace anymore. Danger is lurking."

Facing him with flames in my eyes, my hands curl into fists. "Don't speak to me. Ever."

Edmund cocks his head. "Excuse me?"

I continue. "You too. I trusted you, and now I don't know what to think. So leave me alone." Gritting my teeth, I begin to make my ascent to my suite.

The minotaurs (whose names are Verblud and Chronicus) station themselves at the entrance to my room once I enter it. Falling onto my bed, I scream into a pillow.

Stripping off my dress, I take out my shorts and tank top that I wore when I entered Narnia. Putting them on, I open the window and step onto the balcony.

The ground is sixty feet away and I gulp. Grabbing onto the ledge of my balcony, I climb over to the other side. Stretching out my toe, I sigh with relief when it touches the balcony below.

I do this until my feet are planted firmly on the ground. Pulling my hair into a ponytail, I run to the ocean.

The waves are even stronger and they roar in my ears. Taking off my shoes, I jump into the water.

The cold freezes my skin. The water rocks me back and forth and crashes over me. Going up for a breath of air, water fills my lungs. Sinking back under, I see seaweed wrap around my ankle, or what closely resembles seaweed.

Out of nowhere, devious mermaids pop out and laugh at my misery. Their green hair wraps around my ankles and pulls down. The shiny fangs poking out of their lips bite into my calves, leaving permanent scars.

I scream, but even more water fills my insides. Reaching up, I feel air blow against the tips of my fingers but that is all.

I begin to untangle their hair from my ankles, but it just curls and tightens. Punching one in the face, she laughs at the pain and bites her fangs deeper into my skin.

Blood pours out of me and salt water enters my system. Red mixes with blue and swirls around me. All I see is red and green moving back and forth. All I hear is hissing and laughter.

My life slips away from my fingers, and memories flash before my eyes. My first birthday. Riding a bicycle. First dance. First car. Clyde. Getting my acceptance letter to UCSD. Jumping into water. Sweet Cheeks. Jade pouring alcohol over herself. Seaweed tightening.

The last thing I think before I black out is, "Aslan."

* * *

"What do you mean she's gone? She's under strict lock and key," Edmund growls at the minotaurs.

Verblud kneads his hands. "We were guarding the door. We wanted to check in on her because we didn't hear anything. When we opened the door, we saw her dress on the floor and the windows open."

Naomi's tears fall onto her cheeks. "This is all your fucking fault! If you hadn't put that decree on us she wouldn't have felt enclosed and wouldn't have run away! We had just found her and you scared her into disappearing!"

Peter glares at her. "Do not speak to him that way!"

Susan grits her teeth. "Shut up Peter. Don't you see that Ariel and Naomi are not the cause for so many deaths! Everyone but you sees that! The entire time you were gone the two were with Lucy and I."

Edmund shakes his head. "I don't care. They are still suspects. How do you explain her disappearance this morning? Or now?"

"She was freaked out this morning because I told her! I told her that you suspect her!" Lucy screams.

Naomi sobs into Susan's shoulder. "This is all your fucking fault. You let my best friend run away and you could care less. Ariel's right. Men should burn in hell."

Peter sighs. "Send out a-," but Naomi interrupts him.

"No. No search parties. You did it your way, and now it's my turn. I'm going to look for her. Not some stupid fairytales."

Wiping away her tears, she runs down the staircase and out the castle doors.

She runs and runs. How could they do this? How? They had Ariel slip through their fingers again! And they don't even trust them! Naomi hates them. All of them.

Reaching the beach, she sees a pair of sneakers on the shore. The water is still and silent.

Gulping, Naomi jumps into the water.

Nothing stirs on the ocean floor. Mermaids are littered everywhere, dead. Fish lay beside them, rotting in the water.

A pale figure rests on the ground. It floats back and forth with the tide and scars mar its calves. Blood pours from the cuts.

Naomi gasps. Going up for air, she dives after her friend. Picking her up by the arms, Naomi grunts. Oh God. They should lay off the toast at breakfast. Dragging her across the floor, Naomi's toes finally touch the sand and she manages to pick up Ariel and lay her down on the dry sand beside her shoes.

Ariel's clothes are ripped apart. Every inch of her skin is red with blood oozing from the millions of tiny cuts. Her calves are white from blood loss. Ariel's face is perfect with no scars.

Pressing her ear to Ariel's chest, Naomi's throat chokes up. Ariel's heart does not beat. Ariel is dead.

Picking the corpse up, she walks slowly back to the castle. Ariel is dead. Ariel is dead. Ariel was killed. All because of the monsters lurking in the waters.

Gulping at the entrance to the palace, Naomi starts to sob. She can't share Ariel with the rest of the world. Ariel (or what was left of her) is hers and hers alone. And yet she felt hope in her chest rise with every step towards Cair Paravel.

Entering the castle, creatures swarm Naomi. They gasp at the sight of Ariel and shake their heads.

"She shouldn't have left."

"Stupid girl."

But Naomi doesn't listen to them. She just cries and walks. Walks and walks until she reaches the throne room. Looking down at Ariel's forlorn body, she grits her teeth and enters.

Susan clutches her heart at the sight of the girl and falls back against her throne. Lucy whimpers and starts to sob into her eldest brother's shoulder. Peter grits his teeth and stands to help, but Edmund raises his hand to stop his sibling.

"No. Peter, not now."

Naomi gently lays Ariel down on the floor below the siblings. She coolly faces them.

"I don't blame any of you for Ariel's death. But hear this. I am finding a way home and once I find it, I am taking Ariel's body with me and never returning."

Peter and Lucy stand to protest, but the wisest siblings stay in their thrones.

Susan gulps and brushes away her tears. "You have every right to do so, Lady Naomi. We have no right anymore to keep you from doing so."

Edmund stares at Ariel. "If you leave, you will never return. If you do, you will be considered a traitor and killed."

Naomi snorts. "Better than being alive with the constant thought that my friend died and some silly teenagers are to blame for her death."

Glaring at the four, Naomi picks up Ariel and exits.

* * *

Susan brushes her locks away from her face. Sitting at the foot of Ariel's bed, she doesn't stop the flow of tears.

Nurse Fabiola had taken good care of the cuts, yet Ariel is still dead. Three drops of Lucy's cordial had been poured on the girl, and yet she still lay motionless.

Susan hadn't even gotten to know the girl. They were friends, yet she had little knowledge of Ariel. She regretted that.

A knock echoes through the door. Nurse Fabiola shuffles her way to the entrance, and turns to pat Susan's shoulder.

"Queen Susan, your brother would like to spend some time with the lady."

Brushing away a tear, Susan faces Edmund red eyes and pale. Edmund freezes at the sight of his sister and gulps.

Ariel looks beautiful and yet the venom that had spread throughout the body had not been bled out. It had targeted the heart and lungs and stopped both first before killing the other organs.

Sitting down beside Ariel, Edmund brushes the hair away from her face. He never played the prank on her. _I guess this is some sort of revenge on her_, Edmund thinks. He bets that in heaven she is rolling her eyes at their misery and cursing his name.

Someone once told him that people in a coma or even in death can sometimes hear what you say.

Opening his mouth, Edmund chokes out, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I wish I was a better friend. I wish I made a better first appearance. I wish that I had never met Elizabeth and been hurt by her. I wish I had never met Jade. I wish you had never met me."

"You know, Elizabeth disappeared the day you died. I think I should care, but I don't. Weird, huh? Naomi's been visiting you every day. She sits by your bedside and tells you stories of your old home. Sometimes, she just cries. Susan just came by. She hates me now. So does Lucy. They're commemorating you in everyway. Naomi's prepared an ode to you. Peter visits you occasionally. Nurse Fabiola says he just stares at you."

Gulping, Edmund begins the bad news. "Deaths are more recurrent and now at the place of every death a ring of grass is somewhere nearby. Ink black petals are sometimes near the water too. The whole town is in chaos. Thankfully, the other countries haven't heard or else they would plan war on us. We are at a such fragile state that we know not what to do."

Looking down at the girl again, tears start to pour. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Nurse Fabiola taps the king's shoulder. "I'm sorry, your Majesty. But I do believe Lady Ariel needs some rest." Edmund's throat chokes up at those words. It is as if she is alive, which she is not.

Exiting the room, he notices a tightly woven grass ring in the corner. Weird, he thinks, before picking it up and going to the library.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Yep. I killed a main character off. I know many of you are either freaking out, sending daggers at me, or just plain old confused, but I have my ways. Don't worry. This is just another twist in the story that is very important in the end.

Naomi's all pissed off and clearly heartbroken. Guess Nater never did exist. Or did it?

Jade's just a b****. I really do hate her. I want to kill her off so badly but then that means the good guys win WAY too easily. So she's gonna be around for a while. A LONG while.

Little Lizzie's gone? And poor wittle Edmund. I hate him in this chapter. How can he just cry over someone when they just died partially due to him? I really don't like him.

Pretty much, this whole chapter is hatred and drama rolled into one ball. Yep. But the world isn't all lollipops and gumdrops. Haha if it was there'd be no story! All of us would be gorging ourselves on candy!

And as always REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!

Love,

Rita


	12. Chapter 11: Tears and Stars

Naomi hovers over her best friend. The locks of her dark blonde hair are fanned out on her pillow and her eye lids are ghastly pale, the purple veins popping out against her skin. Her swollen lips are a light shade of red.

Ever since the accident, Naomi can't force herself to move from Ariel's side. Occasionally, she deserts the infirmary to think and play piano, but her day mainly consists of watching over her friend. Nurse Fabiola even prepared a warm bed beside Ariel, although the hours she does spend in it doesn't involve sleeping. Every night, nightmares run through her head and she wakes up every morning sweaty and glancing desperately wondering where she is. The minute her eyes reach Ariel's corpse, Naomi's dry tear ducts soften and burst into tears. Shaking her friend, she begs for her to wake up. No such thing happens.

After the morning's events, she picks at her breakfast (a bowl of porridge and a glass of milk) before her thoughts start to wander to memories and other things that have no connection to death whatsoever. By lunch, the Pevensies and close acquaintances begin to trickle in, asking of her condition although they fully well know it. By that time, Naomi realizes she needs to stray from the east wing and leaves the infirmary to allow the others to talk and reminisce with Ariel's dead body. Piano playing begins to sound through the castle, gentle then crescendo-ing into a loud hum of anger and emotions. At five, Naomi goes back to the infirmary, slurps her bowl of soup, and just stares. All her thoughts are well thought over and all that is left to do is stare. Stare at the girl who was the sole motivation she had in this cursed world. Stare at the reason she even put up with Narnia and its royals. Now that Ariel is gone, all her morals and reasons are gone and all she has left is home. Home where she has to face Ariel's family and tell them of the summer. Naomi will have to tell little Poppy that her elder sister has passed away in a world created by an author and that Ariel would not want them to cry and mourn over her. They wouldn't listen and for the rest of their lives they would wander, not knowing what to do with themselves: believe Naomi's mysterious tale of talking horses and magical witches or assume the close family friend is covering for something worse - a murderous death, either involving a car accident or a gang she managed to come across with in a club.

And Naomi? Her life will move on past Ariel, and she will force herself to build a new one, filled with university classes, tests, and piano playing – a life where Narnia is just a fairytale told to little children to teach honor and to calm their minds at night.

Gulping, Naomi brushes aside her hair.

Nurse Fabiola waddles toward her and smiles a toothless smile. Naomi stays frozen. She doesn't understand happiness anymore. It is a concept beyond her. The fact the little woman is smiling her astonishes her.

Fabiola grins. "Lady Naomi, I have very good news. You will be most happy by this."

Naomi barely hears the nurse's words.

"King Peter has returned! The giants are under control and there is little trouble within Narnia now!"

Naomi didn't even know Peter was gone, let alone he returned after bringing peace once more to the Narnian realm.

She clears her throat. "Send my congratulations." She could at least be gracious. Naomi turns back to Ariel.

The door shuts behind Nurse Fabiola. Sitting down on the edge of her bed, Naomi brushes away a tear she didn't know was leaking.

How stupid and silly her life was before. Her days were filled with thoughts of Peter and what the meaning was behind the glance before lunch or the smile he sent her when she told a joke. What a silly girl she was. Yet she wished for those days back again. She wished for the days when Peter would kiss her hand or say something under his breath so that only she could hear.

Naomi jumps at the sound of a door. Turning her head, she growls at the sight of King Edmund.

"Yes? Coming to pay your condolences to the 'traitors' we are?"

Edmund glares at her. "Lady Naomi, I do believe two weeks ago you said you would work with all your power to be sent back home. I see no progress, nor have I heard of any entry of yours into the royal library."

"I was quite busy with recent affairs," she snipes back.

"What? Looking after a dead body whose heart will not beat again?"

Naomi glowers at him. "Let me see what you will do when one of your siblings dies. I doubt you would carry on with your daily affairs. You will most likely do the same as I."

Edmund lifts his chin. "Lady Naomi, I am forced to inform you that you cannot hang around the infirmary any longer. We have other patients that need attention. You have other things you need to get to."

Picking up her skirts, Naomi stands. "Fine, your Majesty. I will leave right now and never see my best friend again who died because of your decree. Good enough?"

Walking past him, she sniffs in disgust. Slamming the door behind her, Naomi begins to run.

She does not know where. All she knows is that she needs to breathe. She needs air and fast. Finally, she feels cool air enter her lungs. Only a second later does she realize her location.

The garden where she was braiding Becca's hair the day of Ariel's death greets her, long shadows blending everything into one. The dark trees whisper amongst themselves and leaves rustle back and forth on the ground. Petals litter the marble bench she was sitting on before.

Gingerly, Naomi sits down on it.

"Well, well. Look who we have here. Lady Naomi has come out of her den." A laugh rises above the trees.

Turning around, Naomi glances everywhere. "Who is this?"

The voice laughs. "You don't know? I thought after spending so much time with you, little Naomi would be aware of her best friend's mortal enemy." Stepping out of the trees, moonlight shines behind the source of the voice. Her dark hair looks like a giant ink blot against the white moon. Although they sit in the dark, her green eyes shine.

"Elizabeth." Although Naomi has no problems with the lady, she feels an unmistakable itch in the back of her mind not to trust her.

Elizabeth giggles. "Naomi!"

"I thought you were gone."

Elizabeth giggles again. "I never left. I just... wandered. You know, not all those who wander are lost."

Naomi gulps at those words. Her father's favorite author, J.R.R. Tolkien, said those words and yet she did not know of any Narnia who knew of the author born on Earth.

Elizabeth seems to read her mind. "Oh, I am not a Narnian. And I think you very well know I am not of Archenland descent either. I am a creature of worlds. I've been everywhere and know everything. I watch over everything in every place, making sure nothing happens out of routine. You know, humanity has a pattern. When one breaks it, well, there are consequences," she clucks.

The girl continues. "If you knew where I've been and what I've seen, you would not think your life is all that bad. There are other worlds worse than your little Earth and better. Although I do enjoy that sweet drink made of milk they only serve there."

"Milkshakes," Naomi whispers.

Elizabeth nods. "Yes. They're quite delicious. And the fashion is something else. Very scandalous, if I do say so myself. But I always did like Narnia the best. It has quite an alluring...magic, don't you think? Very different. A different aura than Earth or Benalin or even Xanour, which is a powerful thing in itself. I was very attracted to Narnia at first, and I still am. But it's... different now. And several events that have happened over the past century are very out of routine."

With the next words, Naomi's hair stands on end.

"I don't approve."

Elizabeth jumps closer and runs her finger through the flowers. "I am back to where we started. You remember me saying I was your petty Ariel's mortal enemy? That might be too harsh a word but it is quite suitable. If you do remember, you would know Ariel and Edmund had a connection since the beginning. Ever since I joined the picture, Ariel felt like a third wheel. You know your friend. She gets very jealous."

She continues with an excited expression on her face. "And Edmund was taken with me immediately. Ariel might have told you of our first encounter and if she has, you will remember I said that Edmund liked my cousin. The truth is simple. He has never seen me in his life. The first time he has ever spoken the name 'Elizabeth' was when he saw me a month ago. Funny, isn't it? Well, stars do have millennia of magic stored in their blood. Or what blood they do have."

Covering her mouth, she blushes. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I just slipped. How stupid of me. Now you know too much. Jade would not approve."

Naomi feels her throat choke up. Danger scratches her back and she wants to run and tell SOMEONE of Elizabeth, yet she feels glued to her spot. All she can do is stare at the horrible person-sorry, STAR, in front of her.

Elizabeth taps her lips with her index finger. "Ah yes. Jade. She's quite beautiful, ain't she? As if. It's a mirage. A spell. You see what she wants you to see. She could've wanted you to see a pig if she had that intention, but she needed the illusion of a beautiful woman, except she's not a woman. At least, not in soul, heart, or blood."

"You're probably wondering what she actually is. She's a Vila. You might have heard of them. Quite powerful. Very hard to catch, but easy to kill. You just have to first survive their battle tactics and swordsmanship. "

Elizabeth grins. "I don't very much like Jade. She begs for power and control. She wants land and people to fall at their knees and give her anything she pleases. Well, like most Vila. Sadly, for you and your friends, her next sight is Narnia. Oh you should hear her go on about the wretched Aslan. She has quite an army too, made up of her many sisters. Jade also did some Deep Magic and brought back a species that has been extinct for many millennia and they don't even exist in this world! They're like Naiads, except they're evil and grotesque. They live in the water and have green, seaweed like hair. They're called Rusalki."

Naomi opens her mouth and closes it, like a guppy. Inside her head, her brain mechanics turn and she flashes back to the sight of Ariel lying dead with tiny cuts marring her skin. Then, she remembers passing through the Cair and hearing the voices of Narnians whispering of unexplained deaths and by beautiful women with seaweed like hair. She senses a click in her mind.

Elizabeth laughs. "You've caught on! Yes, the Rusalki killed your little friend. It's not their fault of course. They're under the control of Jade. She wants to have control of Narnia, and her first step is to get rid of the royals and the two mentioned in the prophecy."

Gasping, Elizabeth shakes her head. "Silly Elizabeth. Jade will definitely murder you now. Oh well. Not my problem. She's going to get you anyway. It's best you know your _lover_ didn't do anything. Naomi, piece of advice. You could do so much better than the sickly piece of 'magnificence.'"

"You're probably wondering why I told you. I just wanted you to be aware of the opposing side. It wouldn't be a fair and fun fight without having equal knowledge. Besides, Jade's army knows every secret of yours. A little secret of theirs in the open wouldn't hurt, now would it?"

Looking back at Naomi with her emerald eyes, Elizabeth giggles. "Don't think I'm on your side. I'm not. Still with the Rusalki and Vila. Although I'm not with Jade. I'm my own general."

Smiling, Elizabeth caresses Naomi's face. "Do what you wish with what I told you. I could care less. But I must warn you. With knowledge come consequences. With knowledge, you will die a worse death than you would have before. Of course, you have a chance of living. A minute chance, but a chance still." Flipping her hair, Elizabeth winks. She turns around, lifts her hands in the air, and seems to hold the moon in her hands, a white, pearly orb. Blue mist spreads from her fingers and it surrounds her like a shield. Elizabeth begins to shine and soon a bright diamond hangs in midair before Naomi. Flying into the sky, the mist disappears.

Naomi contemplates her new revelations. Elizabeth is a star, and Jade is planning to destroy Narnia. Her first step is killing off the royals and two people in a prophecy? She's only killed Ariel, but she isn't a royal. Nor is she in any prophecy. Right?

Rusalki, water demons, killed Ariel and Vili are murdering citizens. It's easy to kill them all, but hard to catch due to their impressive battle talents.

So what does this all mean?

Naomi gulps. Her first thought is telling the Pevensies, yet what would that do? They would ask how she knows this and they would never believe Elizabeth told her. She would just be considered the criminal and be jailed, probably sentenced to death. Of course, they would then wonder why Naomi told them of her knowledge if she's the one that supposedly wants to destroy the Narnian government.

All she can do is keep from the royals being open and vulnerable to attack. Ask to increase security due to the mysterious death of Ariel. She could ask Edmund to send out search parties and accompany them. With her new knowledge, she's safer and well equipped to NOT fall into their traps.

"Naomi?"

Looking up from her sweaty palms, Naomi's eyes catch Peter. Her heart flutters and she grumbles at the feeling.

"Good evening, your Majesty."

Peter scratches the scar on his cheek. "Naomi, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have put all that pressure on you and Ariel."

Naomi nods. "Thank you."

Sucking in the cool, night air, Naomi plays with the tips of her hair. "Peter, I think I was too rash. I was just very caught up and emotional after Ariel's death and I acted purely on emotions. Maybe we can go back?"

Peter rubs the back of his neck. "I'm sorry, Naomi, but the whole palace is in uproar and still in deep shock over Ariel's death. The lords don't trust you even more, although I wonder why. Who murder's their best friend? And then there's Edmund. He... he's the worst. All he does is lock himself up in the library and read and try to get ahead with diplomatic affairs. I tell him to calm down and mourn with us, but he doesn't listen. He won't talk to anyone and when he does he glares and says everything with spite. Seeing us moving past this, especially you, would just break him and make the whole event less important and not worthy of attention."

Naomi nods, although she doesn't understand why Edmund of all people is upset over this.

"Can we at least be back to good terms?"

Peter sighs. "I guess so."

Sighing in relief, Naomi purses her lips. "I have some ideas. During the time I spent beside Ariel, I was thinking of ways to improve the Narnian government, to keep from anyone from attacking or causing harm to you or your siblings. I know it isn't my place, but I believe you should listen."

Peter spreads his arm. "Please. If my citizens do not agree with the way we conduct the government, then what is the point of me sitting on the throne?"

Naomi smiles shyly. "I think you should add more soldiers to improve security. And please don't go anywhere alone. If the people, or creatures, killed Ariel, they are probably eyeing you or your siblings now."

Peter nods. "Thank you for the advice, although we are well aware of this."

An awkward silence passes between them and Naomi plays with her hands in her lips.

Striding over to the lady, the king sits down beside her. Looking down at his lap, he begins to speak.

"Naomi, you could have told me."

Whipping her head to face him, her eyes flare red. "Told you what? That your decree is stupid and will bring no good? That I thought you had more trust in me? That if not for the guard following us around, Ariel would be breathing and the castle wouldn't be falling apart? That if not for Ariel's death your generals would have gotten farther ahead in plans for trying to stop the monsters in the waters? That is a very good thought, except I did all those things."

Peter's cool blue eyes tame the fire in hers. "Not that. Don't try making me feel guiltier than I am already. I feel guilt every time one of my soldiers falls beside me in battle. Your attempts do nothing. I am already aware of the damage my brother and I caused."

Naomi nods, ashamed and small under the gaze of the High King.

Peter continues. "What you SHOULD have told me is how it bothered you when I talked of past suitors and… love. Don't think I didn't see you run out of a room the minute conversation turns in that direction, your face a shade of green. I saw and wondered. Why didn't you tell me you were jealous?"

Naomi purses her lips and looks up at the king with an iron fist squeezing her heart. Her calm eyes are guarded and Peter can sense walls being built around her.

"I think you are mistaken, your Majesty. Now, I have more pressing matters to attend to, ones that I have been holding back for two weeks." Lifting up her skirts, she does a curtsy and _click clacks_ her way out of the orchard.

Rubbing his temples, Peter sighs. He needs a run.

Her father always spooked her out of her wits when telling stories of vampires and werewolves sneaking out of brushes and corners at the time of midnight. They would capture their victims and prey in their teeth and squeeze their lives out until just a limp body is left behind. Ever since, Naomi had an unmistakable fear of midnight. A minute before the clock struck 12 she woke up on alarm and curled up on her bed, clutching her knees, and counted down the minutes until it was 1. Only then would she sigh in relief that she was spared.

Ever since her messed up childhood, she matured. No, matured is the wrong word. At fifteen, Naomi experienced the first exhilarations of high school parties and how at midnight, instead of terrifying monsters out of the Grimm fairytale books, drunk, desperate boys crept out from shadows and forced you to lose yourself in the intoxications of sweet alcohol and the bright, rainbow lights of strobe lamps all while you rocked back and forth to pounding music from the large stereos. Her fears of werewolves and vampires disappeared as quickly as they came and instead fears of sleazy teenagers filled her nights.

That is until now. Shuffling through the dusty books, yellowed with age, Naomi gulps as she passed the windows where the full moon cast its milky white reflection on the glass.

Her encounters with talking animals, fauns, and centaurs (and even stars and a Vila) led her to believe the myths of werewolves and vampires. Flashes of memories of shirtless boys morphing into mangy animals and glittering vampires sinking their teeth into a human filled her mind. She shudders at the night outside the library. Naomi shakes her head. Curse 21st century media.

She turns her attention back to the books surrounding her in book cases towering twenty feet over her head. Most of the written works are just on taxes and love stories like one of a Dryad being saved by an Archenlader, falling in love as they work their way back home to save the world from the impending danger of witches with ice wands and dark Calormenes sneering at the whiff of blood and sight of pain and death. Ariel would enjoy these adventure/romantic novels yet it held no interest to Naomi. She had one genre in mind.

Finding it in the back of the large room, she gazes across the titles. _500 Ways to Kill a Dragon. Earth and Air at Your Fingertips. Potions for All Purposes. _

Of course the main library would not hold a book of actual importance. No king (or queen) would place a source of importance in an area of general viewing. The titles here are just things that are wanted by most and can be accessed by all. But where would she find the book she is looking for?

Naomi goes over the personalities of each of the royals. Susan enjoys reading but not to extent of magic, and definitely not one for twisted, or even evil purposes. Lucy is always outside, frolicking amongst the local Narnians and exotic staff. Magic might be of curiosity to Peter, but evil? And one that could possibly destroy all he loves and send him back to the place that only brought back thoughts of bomb shelters and Nazi uniforms?

That only left Edmund. By the way he growled with anger at the mention of Ariel's death and Naomi's attempts of returning home, Edmund is led by passion and pure whim. Naomi remembers the story of the young king falling into the traps of the White Witch. He probably conjured up a spell since then to not allow him to be vulnerable to such an occasion again. And that spell is definitely not just for general viewing.

Naomi's lips curl into a smile. Rushing out of the tall towers of paper, she climbs stairs and turns corridors. Finally, her palm pushes on the engraved door of King Edmund's personal study.

The sheer white curtains dance and the study has an aroma of old papers and dust. Red velvet pillows cushion the window seat and the large chair beside the grand table, cluttered with tax papers, pens, knick knacks, and dried berries and nuts for the small animals and birds that always seem to be the young king's companions.

Running to the book cases which take up the large walls, Naomi looks for the slight mention of Dark Magic. Finally, her eyes gaze onto the book she has been looking for all along.

_Dark Magic: Time and Place_ _by Hag Rena_

She feels her throat choke up and tears burst out of her eyes. Finally, all she has been searching for. Finally, she can go home and forget Narnia ever existed. She can be NORMAL again.

Shaking, she lifts up her hands to slide the crimson leather book into her hands. Stroking the binding, Naomi smiles for the first time in a month.

A door slams behind her and she yelps and jumps in surprise. Covering her mouth, she turns to face Edmund's dark glare.

"I didn't know my study is open for everybody in the castle. Or was I mistaken?"

"I-I'm sorry," Naomi stutters out and glances at the book still at her fingertips.

Edmund's eyes flit to the book the lady is caressing. She found it? No, it is too soon. Ariel can't leave. Even though she is dead he can't deal with the thought her BODY isn't even near him. She was a companion to him, no matter how short the time was spent together.

Clearing his throat, Edmund turns cold again. "Leave. Now. Or I'll send my PERSONAL guard to arrest you for trespassing."

Naomi nods and lets go of the book. Sending it a forlorn, desperate look, she shuffles out, not hindering the flow of tears.

Running back to the infirmary, she crashes onto her bed and peeks at Ariel's still body.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," the lady shudders out and sobs into her pillow until the first ribbons of dawn burst on the black sky.

At the departure of Naomi, Edmund gingerly tip toes to the area she had stood just moments before. His eyes lock onto the golden title on the blood red leather. Stroking the words with his thumb, he slides the book out and lets its cover stare up at the ceiling.

He can't let the book fall into her hands so easily next time. He had to be rid of it before she finds it.

Lucy would suggest sinking it, but Peter would counter with the fact the monsters lurking in the waters could gain knowledge from its words and grow in numbers AND power. Susan would suggest burning the paper, and yet Edmund can't see the flames licking the leather away, leaving only grey ashes. The only reasonable conclusion is to hide it. And hide it he will.

Stowing the work in his cloak, he gulps at the knowledge pressed to his ribs. Yes, he has to be rid of it fast.

The tawny gold pair of eyes looks upon his beloved land. There, a lantern burns brightly, the tall iron pole casting a shadow on the grass growing freely around it. A river flows, crashing against the sides of a beaver dam, the house beside it glowing with a gay feel to it. The owner of the gold eyes smiles slightly. On the opposite side of the land, the ocean grows in size and crashes on the damp beach, leaving behind seaweed and dead fish, bitten multiple times. The forests beyond the water stand ominous, remainders of fires and embers still hot, little spots against the landscape. Occasionally, a swan wing would poke out of the leaves. Centaurs get their children to bed before looking up at the stars one last time. Bowing their majestic heads, they stand guard beside their families. The small town near the castle sits in slumber, a door creaking once in a while. Fauns and dryads fall asleep, the after effects of faun wine working on them in their dreams. The world seems to be frozen and yet the figure standing upon a hill on the border between Narnia and Archenland pays close attention to the white castle perched on the cliffs beyond Lantern Waste, the Western Wood, and the town. There, staff itch their noses unconsciously and royals worry about current affairs. His eyes roam over the sleeping body of King Edmund holding his side protectively. Yet that is not the one he is searching for.

Sensing the girl high above the king's suite, he stares lovingly at the pale body. Little scars cover her body and they form a network of curves, looking like ripples and waves shifting like the ocean. The mass of dark blonde hair on her pillow is similar to a familiar golden mane and he shakes his fur.

Blowing sweet air on the girl, he begins to whisper stories, incantations, and dreams. And inside the poisoned, dead corpse, sweet honey begins to flow.


	13. Chapter 12: Foxes and Tents

_2 months later..._

Flake's hooves pound on the forest ground as the two dodge branches and trees. The sound echoes through the silence, but the woman does not hear it. Her dark hair flies after her like a black stormy cloud and she purses her red lips.

"Madam! Please, take a rest!" the red fox accompanying her yells.

"Milady, please! We have been running for hours! You could use a rest."

"I am not stopping until I see their encampment," the lady spits out.

Ever since Elizabeth's talk with her, Naomi searched every inch and corner of the library. The book she had found that would have brought her back to normality disappeared but she expected it. Of course Edmund would hide the one source of Dark Magic wanted (and needed) by all.

Once she inhaled all the knowledge she could possibly inhale, Naomi turned to the outside world. She used up each minute of her time training with a bow and arrow and even began to turn to rapiers, the only sword she can hold. Oerius was a good training partner, pushing her and filling her with wisdom of the sword, until one day came when she pressed the sharp tip of the delicate rapier on the centaur's neck. After she exceled at the weapon, Naomi began to practice on a horse, which is how she met one of her best friends, Flake. The pure white stallion's humor and wit is not pure at all and a good companion to her ever since she began to ignore the Pevensies.

Eventually, Naomi realized it was now her time to avenge her best friend and began to make preparations to search for Jade's encampment. Thankfully, those she recruited to accompany her are not regular members of the palace guard and trust the lady enough to not tell the royals of her plans. Therefore, when she took off that morning with several soldiers, nobody heard of her disappearance.

Flame growls. "Miss, I am forced to make you stop. The kings will not approve of you running away and be kept hungry and exhausted under my watch!"

Turning her head slightly to the side, Naomi rolls her eyes. "If I do remember correctly, I do not care what the kings think. And you promised before I recruited you to not inform them of my plans."

The fox grumbles. "You are just as stubborn," he mutters under his breath.

Naomi smirks. The animal could be very protective and annoying at times, but over the past month she learned to love and respect the fox. In these depressing times, Flame brought comfort when she needs it most.

Flake sniffs. "Milady, we are nearing a very large group of... I'm sorry, I can't identify the scent."

Naomi's lips curl into a smile. "How many?"

She waits for his confirmation. "1,000. Maybe more."

The lady purses her lips.

Flame yelps. "I knew it was a bad idea. I knew it."

Naomi smirks. "If you knew it, why'd you come?"

Flame raises his chin. "To protect my country."

"God, you sound like the US Air Force," Naomi rolls her eyes to Flake's amusement.

"Come, you old fox. She's jesting. I hope."

Slowing the horse to a walk, Naomi tunes in her senses. Nothing rustles or moves. There is no leaf out of place.

Leaning into Flake's snow white neck, she whispers, "Are they close?"

Flake sniffs. "Five miles in."

Turning to see Flame, Naomi sighs. "This is a good place to rest." Jumping off the stallion, she takes out her rapier from the scabbard around her waist. She edges closer to a large pine and marks it with a diagonal line.

Coming back to the camp, she sees the others have joined her. Two centaurs are unpacking food and water and a Dryad floats here and there, making sure the area is safe. A wolf watches over, resting near a tree.

Flame is huddled near a miniscule fire, yelping whenever the flames come close enough to lick his scarlet tail. At the arrival of Naomi, he picks himself up and runs over.

Naomi plops down onto the dirt ground, leaning against a tree. Taking out a wedge of bread from her pocket, she breaks off a chunk and feeds it to the fox.

Gulping down the food, Flame looks away from her. "The kings and queens are probably searching for you by now," he mutters.

Sending him a look that could kill, Naomi purses her lips. "I couldn't care less. This is my war to fight, not theirs. This is my duty and the more they stay away from me the less I will lose."

Flame sniffs. "This is their land. They have every right as you do to protect it."

"I'm not doing this for Narnia. I'm doing this for Ariel," Naomi says, looking down on the animal.

A silver green leaf blows past her cheek and swirls into a female shape. More and more leaves come in to add depth to the figure and in a matter of seconds a faintly green woman stands before her.

"Lady Naomi, I have checked the premises. Very little moves and my sisters and brothers slumber deep within their trees. They smell faintly of sea salt." The Dryad gulps but manages to keep her cool.

Naomi nods. Any human (or being) knows full well that trees do not smell like the ocean. Any Narnian knows sea salt intoxicates most – if not all – trees putting them in a sleep for many years. Although the spell doesn't take much work, the consequences are major and waking a tree isn't a very good thing to do.

The Dryad continues. "Some of the trees have one or two black petals. I don't think there is a tree with black petals unless they are covered in ink or dead."

Flame sniffs at the green woman. "Phoebe, thank you, but I do believe Lady Naomi needs her rest without more troubles infecting her mind."

Phoebe nods curtly not before glancing at Naomi who rolled her eyes at the fox's remark.

"As the Lady wishes." Floating back to the trees, Phoebe separates back to green leaves.

"I do believe you signed up to go along with MY intentions," Naomi growls.

Flame shivers. "I understand. But worrying over more problems will scare you into having cold feet." Really he was saying this to protect his own fur.

Ignoring him, Naomi joins the two centaurs near the edge of the camp.

"Bruille. Aneler," Naomi curtly says to the two creatures who were inspecting their swords.

The red haired centaur, Aneler, looks up to the lady and smiles slightly.

"Flame annoyed you?" Of the group of Narnians Naomi assembled, Aneler is her favorite.

"Back home foxes don't talk. Now I know why."

The centaur chuckles and even solemn Bruille manages to crack open a smile.

Naomi sighs. "So, I think we set camp today and tomorrow we go and inspect. Then we can make our way back to the castle."

"No fighting?" Aneler pouts.

Naomi laughs. "I just need to get an idea of what we're dealing with."

Flake neighs from beside Flame and sniffs south. Naomi whips around, her hand already on the hilt of her sword.

The ash grey wolf who pounced up on his paws sniffs too. "Something is coming. Not quickly, but they will be on us in ten minutes."

Phoebe quickly blows out the fire and begins to make the scent less noticeable. Bruille and Aneler pack up the food and in a few seconds the small group has ran off in the opposite direction.

"Quickly, Flake." Naomi tightens her hands on the reins and the horse gallops faster.

Marrok, the wolf, runs beside and growls at every rustle. Flame follows with Phoebe whose leaves spread out from the head to the tail of the group. The centaurs pound their hooves in unison, their hands already grasping their long swords.

The unusual group runs faster, not stopping, their lives on the line. The wolf beside Naomi sniffs every minute and every minute they speed up. They race for what seems hours, days, months, not pausing for a breath.

The woods begin to thin out and the dirt ground turns to pebbles which in turn grow into rocks and boulders. Mountains loom ahead with their snow covered peaks. Their chase took them into ground they haven't passed on the way to their long forgotten camp and the group must have taken a detour they haven't meant to take. A small crevice in the mountains grows nearer, the one shortcut to move past the evil dangers lurking behind them.

Finally, Marrok stops with a sniff. Sighing, he nods to Naomi cantering closely behind him. She motions for the others to stop.

"They're behind us but they stopped about seven miles ago. We can go further but the mountains… They are too steep."

Naomi takes tired breaths and closes her eyes. "The only way then is to go around them."

"Or go back to find the place where we took the detour," Flame adds.

Bruille grumbles. "Stupid fox. We can't go back. The detour we took was too long ago and to go back we have to go past the things chasing us."

"Who was your father," Phoebe mutters under her breath.

"Rupert," Flame proudly states.

Naomi's brows furrow. "Isn't he the fox who helped the Kings and Queens escape the wolves at Badger's house?"

Aneler purses his lips. "Don't see a resemblance."

Bruille frowns. "I think we should begin to go around the mountains and make camp a ways from their encampment. That way if they do move, they won't see us but we will see them."

Naomi puts a finger to her lip and cocks her head. "Hmm. Logical. Yes let's do as Bruille says. Everybody, begin to move around. Hopefully we will be able to be back at the Cair tomorrow before the Pevensies begin to send out search parties."

Susan brushes her hair in front of her floor length mirror. Her dark hair cascades down in front of her right shoulder, revealing the bare skin of her collar bone. Humming a song the fauns showed her the previous evening, the queen jumps at the sound of a knock.

Sighing, she sets down her ivory brush. "Come in."

The door opens and Susan beams at the sight of Edmund awkwardly shuffling.

"Ed!" She hugs her younger brother to his displeasure.

"Su! Please! I'm not ten anymore!"

The queen giggles. "I'm sorry. I was thinking of how we haven't spent any time together for quite a while. Do you remember our weekly teas on Sunday? Oh, we used to have such grand fun!"

"Maybe for you," Edmund grumbles.

"Oh be quiet. I know you enjoyed it. I always made sure to have sugar cookies with an almond butter filling – your favorite if I do recall – and spent time outside to get the perfect flowers for the occasion. Lucy was always prompt and on schedule and Peter always came in sweaty from training. You came late but made up for it by staying to clean up."

"Because you made me," he adds.

Susan doesn't seem to hear. "We had such fun together. Lu would tease you about your eating habits – you did eat too much, even for a growing boy. You and Peter would always tease each other and every Sunday the tea ended with me ending a fight."

"Is there an end to this story?"

Susan smiles at her brother. "I just wish we could spend more time together. Oo! Another tea!"

Edmund groans. "I think I am going to go and tell Peter my news – and invite him to your tea _of course_."

Grabbing his arm, Susan cocks her head. "Why did you come here?"

Running his hand through his already unruly hair, Edmund sighs. "You do remember how after breakfast I was sent to check on Naomi due to her absence?"

She nods.

"Well, I went to check her room, and she wasn't there. Her dress was laid out on her chair and the wardrobe doors were flung open. Her training uniform was gone and so were her rapiers. When I went to check the stable, her horse was missing as well. His neighbor – Mo I think – said a girl came in the wee hours of the morning and took Flake with her. She had a pack on her shoulders with a week's worth of supplies."

Susan's hand covers her lips and her blue eyes widen in shock.

"I had checked the grounds and she is nowhere to be seen."

The older queen nods solemnly. "She has left."

"But she will return," Edmund adds.

"But what if she runs into danger? At this time in Narnia nobody should go unsupervised anywhere without alerting someone. We have had too many deaths and we cannot afford to lose Naomi." In both their minds, Ariel's dead body and her tombstone ran through their heads.

Edmund sighs. "That's just it. She didn't go unsupervised. Apparently two of our centaurs, a fox, a wolf, and a Dryad are missing as well. Sources say they left the same day as Naomi."

"Which means she didn't run away or left for a camping trip. She went with a plan."

Edmund nods in agreement. "We both know besides training, all Naomi does is go out to the … graveyard. She must have been training to go out and avenge… _her _death.

Susan's eyes begin to water. Everything, every little problem that had occurred, came from the appearance of Naomi and Ariel.

"_Ariel._ Ed, I don't understand you anymore. We all miss her but we need to move on."

Her brother glares at her, piercing her with fire. "How can you say that? How can you just ask me to move on? Why should I move on? Haven't we done enough of moving on? Isn't the role of a king or queen to not host lavish parties but commemorate those that are lost?"

Susan chokes up and looks down at her bare feet. "I would much rather accept and find a way to save those that are still breathing. To the world, Ariel is just a boarder that we picked up. We need to move on. Naomi seems to be doing it."

Edmund looks away from his sister's solemn gaze. "She was not just a boarder. There are so many people that we don't have, that are missing from our lives. And now she is one of them."

"We seemed to be doing just fine before Naomi and her came. We have to learn to do the same again."

Knowing there was no way to change Susan's mind, Edmund bows and exits.

Fingering the handle of her brush, Elizabeth sighs.

Her life has been long. Very long. In fact, she saw the creation and destruction of many worlds, and knew she was going to see many more. Yet at this point in her life, Elizabeth felt something in her bones. Fear.

She was born into a world that held many secrets and time was incredibly lonely. Birds did not chirp, parents did not comfort, in fact, there were no parents. Just yourself, your thoughts, and the occasional wanderer you passed. When Elizabeth was five years old, she learned how to travel between worlds and saw warmth for the first time. Happiness and comfort were her weaknesses, and although she rarely enjoyed being in company, seeing it was something else entirely. Elizabeth found a plentiful amount of both in Narnia and loved watching the fauns and Dryads from a distance, behind rocks or tents. Sometimes, they would ask her if she wanted to join in, but after a while they learned it was best to leave her alone and ignore the small girl that hid from society.

During the White Witch's reign, Elizabeth found herself wandering to other worlds. She laid eyes on Earth during many of its periods, beginning in the '50s with the milkshakes and ending in the 21st century and the care free beauty that cloaked every little thing. And yet she never found herself more at home than in Narnia. Elizabeth finally came back. Right now, staring at herself in the mirror in her tent, she wished she hadn't.

Stroking her black hair, Elizabeth bit her lip. A drop of blood blooms in the corner of her mouth, and turning around, she glares at the beautiful blonde who had her arms crossed over her chest.

"Elizabeth, tsk tsk. I thought you knew better, but clearly you are just as naïve as the rest of the stars."

Elizabeth smiles at the woman. "Jade, long time no see! And how are your friends? The Rusalki? Still as gruesome as ever?"

Jade rolls her eyes. "Don't try changing the subject. You know why I'm here. I need you to gather more troops. I plan to ride out to Cair Paravel in a week and I need all the creatures I can get." Grinning menacingly, Jade winks.

Her hand stops at the fold of the camp tent. Slightly turning her head, Jade says, "Oh and tell Naomi to get out of the way. Wouldn't want her telling the kings where I'm stationed, now do we?" Laughing, she exits, her long white dress fluttering after her.

Naomi blows air into her hands, trying to warm them. She was waiting for Flame to come back from searching the premises and inform her if their camp has moved on. So far, no word.

Phoebe floated towards her and settled herself beside Naomi, making sure to not disturb her thoughts.

"Do you think the kings and queens are safe?" Naomi asks without looking up at the Dryad.

"I believe so. If they were not, you would be dead," Phoebe whispers.

Naomi's brows furrow. "What do you mean?"

"You would not have been here without a reason," Flake says through a mouthful of grass.

Naomi put her chin in her hands. "If I was so important, why would Ariel have died? Why send her here if she was to die?"

Phoebe shrugs. "To remind her of the beauty still left in the world. To allow her to appreciate life."

Flake neighs. "The tree is right. Or Ariel is of greater use among the stars than down on Earth."

A moment of silence passes, each in their own thoughts.

Flake rubs his head against Naomi's arm. "You need to get up. Ariel would not want you to mope and sit. In fact, she would much appreciate you to storm over to the palace, slap the Just and Magnificent Kings across the face, and then get back to life."

Naomi smiles slightly. "When did you get so smart?" she coos, petting the horse's nose.

"Many years of being kept in the stable beside Mo did me good."

Before Naomi could reply, Flame jumped into her lap. His inquisitive brown eyes seemed like a mixture between relieved and worried.

"Milady, the troops have moved on. The bad news is that they seem to be heading back to Cair Paravel."

Phoebe's leaves brush against Naomi's arm, the Dryad quickly rising and beginning to make preparations to depart.

Naomi frowns and also stands. "Then we must arrive before they do."

High above her head, the last of the sun's rays set and the first star twinkles and seems to be laughing.

**Author's Note: I'm sorry that I haven't written in forever. Really, I am. I just haven't been getting inspiration from Aslan in a long time Add a pile of school work and finals looming ahead, I am stressing out. **

**Anyway, enjoy and review!**


	14. Chapter 13: Fruit and Fish

Naomi raced through the mountains, the others barely keeping up. The lazy sun, sitting on the horizon, stretched its beams in all directions. It seemed that no matter how fast or far they ran, the glittering ocean they so missed wasn't getting any closer. Yet they didn't dare stop, no matter how ragged their breaths were coming, or the amount of sweat trickling down their backs

Phoebe's petals swished beside Flake. Her calm voice broke the silence.

"We have been going for hours. Don't you think it best to rest?" The glare Naomi sent didn't silence the Dryad.

Phoebe sighed. "Please, milady. Flame is barely keeping up, and even the centaurs are losing their energy. It's not healthy."

Naomi's eyes glinted with red fire and madness. "You know what's not healthy? Dying. And if we stop, that is exactly what is going to happen."

Flake grunted from beneath her but didn't say anything.

Naomi rolled her eyes. "What? What? You want others to die? Others to suffer? Or has everybody forgotten about what happened to Ariel?"

Phoebe abruptly stopped. Naomi glanced back, wondering if the Dryad was hurt, but she was just gaping at the girl. Naomi turned Flake around and galloped over to the petals.

"What? Why'd you stop? We must be at Cair Paravel before sundown."

"We do this only for Ariel? So if another had died you would not have even bothered?" Phoebe coldly asked.

Naomi's brows furrowed. "Ariel was my best friend. I have to avenge her death."

Phoebe glared at the girl. "But not another's?"

Naomi closed her eyes and lifted her head up to the sky. "Where is this heading?"

Phoebe growled, a sound that didn't fit the usually placid Dryad. "You know, others have died. I don't do this for Ariel. I don't do this for you. I don't do this for Bruille, who recently lost his brother to the demons. I don't even do this for the Kings and Queens. I am doing this for my father who died. Don't assume you're the only one who is in grief. Don't think you're the only one that cares." With that, the silvery green leaves blew away into the distance, quickly disappearing.

OOO

Hours passed and the group still wasn't close to Cair Paravel. It seemed they wouldn't reach the capital until next afternoon. Naomi was disappointed, but also scared for not only the royals, but also the servants who slept, unaware that in only a day, they would be under attack.

They sent a Robin, the same Robin who had long ago chirped outside of a Faun's house to a group of four small children. The Robin bowed and began to fly to the castle, not once stopping in his journey.

It was nearing midnight when the bird tapped on Queen Lucy's window. Tired and barely breathing, he gasped out the message to the queen, who couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"I must tell Peter. The soldiers must be prepared." Pulling on a robe over her white nightgown, she rushed out of the room. Turning on her heel, she ran back inside her chambers to give the Robin some nuts.

King Peter was laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He was deep in thought, and didn't notice his youngest sister entering his bedroom.

He was worried for Naomi. Although he knew that she spent most of her afternoons training with Oreius, Peter still didn't fully trust the girl that she would be successful in her mission. True, she had some of Narnia's most loyal warriors, but seeing how cruel and ruthless the monsters were, Peter knew that she would never be able to stand a chance.

"Peter!" somebody yelled in his ear. He jumped, his heart almost stopping from the shock. Clutching his shirt, his breaths came out in ragged gasps and he glared at Lucy.

"What are you doing? Aren't you supposed to be asleep?" Peter's breathing slowly calmed down, and he moved a little to allow her to sit down. She stayed standing.

"Naomi just sent a Robin that said Jade's armies are heading towards Cair Paravel. They plan to attack in several days." Although Lucy was incredibly surprised and worried, she kept her cool, something which surprised her oldest brother.

"Jade? But how?" Peter didn't know if he should believe Naomi. It sounded as if she said it merely because of jealousy, but since meeting Jade, he felt that Cair Paravel's guest seemed a bit suspicious.

Lucy shrugged and bit her lip. She was trying to figure out how to get all possible fighters into Cair Paravel to train. They'll need all the help they can get.

Peter sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "We need to tell Susan and Edmund. Now." With that, the two ran out of the chambers.

OOO

Jade stood on top of a hill, her white gown blowing in the wind giving her the appearance of wings. Those too were also spread, the feather bristling.

Behind her, hundreds upon thousands of Villa were stationed, forming a plain of white feathers. Around them, Rusalki, with their sticky green hair in their eyes, grinned maliciously at the sight of unsuspecting creatures ready to be devoured by the demons.

In the very back, one lone figure stood, her blonde hair tied away from her face. She wished to control Narnia, wanting power in her hands, but she had been able to get to know the royals. Standing behind thousands of white swans, Elizabeth was reminded of standing in a similar situation, except instead of feathers, the soldiers were covered in icicles and snow. Her queen, not a bird who controlled mermaids, was a old queen of a dead world whose grey eyes pierced the hearts of all.

Jade's lips curled into a smile. "Today, we will offer them their last day of peace. Tomorrow, we strike."

Turning around, she cocked her head. "Aren't I kind?" The other swans cackled, throwing their heads back in a sound that did not sound pleasing whatsoever.

Several ink black Dryads brushed past Elizabeth, throwing snide glances in her direction.

The Rusalki joined in with the laughter, their husky, wet chortles horrific.

For the first time in her many years, Elizabeth was terrified.

OOO

While the royals rushed to build an army, demons crawled in the forests, and a small group of warriors bit their lips and nails, one girl, being tended to by a nurse, slept peacefully.

In her dream, she was standing in a meadow, a trickling stream on her right and fruit trees on her left. Wild flowers sprouted from beneath her feet, and the grass, springy and soft, stuck to her legs.

Nothing spoke, chirped, or roared. Although the silence was loud, it was comforting and warm. The girl was completely alone, or so she thought. Walking over to the stream, she washed her face and took a drink. Picking an apple off a tree, she took a bite and began to walk aimlessly.

After a couple of minutes, she had finished the apple and threw the core of the fruit on the ground. An apple tree began to sprout from the spot and soon towered over her. Although most would have screamed and ran, the girl felt that is good and safe. She smiled and took an orange off another tree, the peels she threw on the ground sprouting into trees.

Finally, she came upon a smooth, crystal clear lake. Nothing moved, except for the tiny fish that swam within the water. The yellow sun was now directly above in the sky, illuminating the lake. Trees ringed the lake, and once the girl stepped onto the beach, she forgot from which direction she came from.

She wasn't bored, although all she was doing was watching fish swim. For in this place, one can never be bored, tired, or confused. The air was completely clear, free of sea salt, noxious fumes, and even scent. Her mind was free as well and wasn't as trapped as it was before. She felt alive and warm, completely breath less, like a wisp of wind.

While she was thinking over all of this and watching the fish, she failed to notice the entrance of another figure. Behind her stood a majestic Lion, whose mouth was open in what should have been a roar, but was actually speech.

"Welcome Ariel Lindon, Daughter of Eve, Inhabitant of San Diego, California, United States, North America, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy, The Universe. Does this place appeal to you?"

The girl – Ariel as we now know – turned around to face the Lion. She gaped at the Lion, but began to smile.

"Oh it's very nice. Very calm. But where is everybody else? Where am I?"

The Lion stared into Ariel's eyes. "You're Here."

Ariel cocked her head with confusion. "Where is Here?"

The Lion, not annoyed in the slightest, nodded. "Here." She didn't need any other explanation.

Ariel frowned slightly. "Is this where you live? Is this Heaven? Or the In-Between Place?"

The Lion padded over to stand beside Ariel. He – for we shall assume it is a He – stared at the small fish. "It is not Heaven, nor the In-Between Place. This is where souls go when they have completed their duty in their worlds. This is where all find eternal peace. This is my country."

Ariel squinted at the Lion in confusion. "Who are you?" The Lion didn't answer. She already knew.

"Aslan, am I dead?" Although she was calm, her voice quavered with sadness. Tears fell down Ariel's cheeks. She wasn't ready to die; at least, not yet. She wanted to go to college, and tell her sister that she loves her, and watch movies with her parents, and talk to Naomi, and go to the beach, and do normal teenage things. She wanted to see the Naiads, Dryads, Fauns, Centaurs, Dwarves, and Talking Animals again. She wanted to have tea with Mr. Tumnus again, and learn sewing from Mrs. Beaver, and go on a picnic with Lucy. She wanted to go to a ball with Susan, and beat Edmund at chess, and go horseback riding with Peter. She wanted to see the famous Toffee Tree that was there since the beginning of time. She wanted to see Lantern Waste, Anvard, and Taashbaan. She wanted to live.

Aslan looked at Ariel with sad eyes. "No. But, the moment you wake up, you will be in grave peril. Life will change. You will change. You must remember who you are. You must remember that you were sent here for a reason. Do not lose faith. You are more than just Ariel Lindon."

Ariel's eyes bloomed with tears. "Aslan, I'm scared."

The Lion bowed his head. "I know, dear one. And that is good. Without fear, you will never know courage." With those words, Aslan breathed on the girl. For several moments, nothing happened. Soon, though, Ariel was overcome with a soft, fuzzy feeling. She was drifting away from the lake, and the meadow, and the country. Soon, she was drifting over miles of ocean and islands, that will only be explored thousands of years later in another story. She saw a star dining at a table with her father, and gold glinting from the mountains. Within minutes, she was seeing civilization again, and was drifting over Taashban where the Tisroc was parading in a litter. Archeland grew closer, where the two princes were sword-fighting. She saw Lantern Waste, the Beaver's Damn, the Dancing Meadow, and a large pile of feathers. Several patches of forest were ink black, while others seemed silent all together. Cair Paravel was coming closer, and Ariel could see the royals practicing with soldiers. She wanted to yell, but couldn't. Instead, she kept drifting until she floated through a tower and into her own body. Nurse Fabiola didn't notice a sudden breath escaping the girl's lips.

OOO

**Author's Note: Hope you liked this chapter. I know it was short, and I haven't been on in a while, but I had time to get some inspiration. I was a little bored before, but I'm back to this story. Anyway, this story is coming to an end. Tear. Remember to review! **


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